Further dip in water level in Srisailam rings alarm bells

- People of AP, Telangana pray for early monsoon rains
- Accumulation of silt hits storage capacity of Srisailam reservoir

Kurnool: Though the fresh allocation of Krishna river water for the drinking needs of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana provided some respite to the people of two Telugu speaking States, they are eagerly waiting for early monsoon rains to overcome the acute drought.

Responding to the pleas of the two riparian States, the Krishna River Management Board allowed AP and Telangana to draw 6 tmcft and 3 tmcft from Srisailam reservoir for their drinking needs keeping in view the severe summer. At present, the total water available in the reservoir is 22 tmcft only. If 9 tmcft of water is released to AP and Telangana, there will be only 13 tmcft in it.

According to irrigation experts, 10 tmcft out of the 13 tmcft contains mud and it is not fit for human consumption once the reservoir hit the dead storage level. If there are no early monsoon rains, a severe water crisis is in the offing. Both AP and Telangana should be more judicious in use of the river water for their irrigation and drinking needs to avoid a severe crisis in future, they said.

The alarming decline in the storage capacity of the reservoir was attributed to accumulation of silt over the years. The full reservoir level of Srisailam is 885 ft (308 tmcft). The accumulation of silt in the reservoir is estimated once in 10 years. Its storage capacity fell to 215 tmcft when the accumulation of silt was last studied in 2011. It means there is nearly 100 tmcft drop in its storage capacity. The water level dwindled further due to the prolonged dry spell affecting the interests of the two riparian States. The use of river water for generation of hydroelectric power complicated the situation further.

Srisailam, Sunnipenta, Domalapenta, Egalapenta and other villages situated on the banks of Krishna river are totally dependent on the reservoir water for their domestic and drinking needs. The irrigation experts are apprehensive that the villages are likely to face Latur like crisis if there is further decline in the water level. The consumption of water may cause diseases as it is highly polluted.

The persistent use of the river water even after the reservoir hit the dead storage level, may have an adverse effect on the ecology in the region. There is an urgent need to remove silt in the reservoir to increase its storage capacity, the experts said.

S Syamasundar Rao