The quantum of water being drawn from the Tungabhadra Dam by Andhra Pradesh through the High-Level Main Canal (HLMC) will be increased from Monday (July 25) with the Irrigation Department placing an enhanced indent on Friday and asking the TB Board officials to release 1,500 cusecs at 105.4 km of the canal (Andhra Pradesh border).
High-Level Canal Superintending Engineer N. Rajasekhar said the unlined HLMC was able to withstand 700 cusecs from July 12, and no breaches were witnessed and the flow in the canal would be increased to 1500 cusecs gradually.
Only when the canal could withstand such a flow, the department would be able to assess if the flow could be increased to 2,000 cusecs (the maximum), he said.
Andhra Pradesh has an allocation of 26.5 tmc ft through the HLC and another 3.5 tmc ft for the K.C. Canal Diversion Quota.
The inflows into Tungabhadra Dam are continuing at 78,428 cusecs, and the total yield in the dam so far this season has been 168.71 tmc ft. It was only 56.38 tmc ft on this day the previous year.
The last water year was, however, the best in the last four decades with 212 tmc ft of total yield recorded.
Meanwhile, the inflows into Srisailam came down slightly from 1.79 lakh cusecs on Thursday to 1.61 lakh cusecs, and the water level at the dam reached 882 feet (maximum 885 feet) by 6 p.m. on Friday with a total live storage of 198.8 tmc ft. (maximum 215.8 tmc ft).
Minister for Water Resources Ambati Rambabu will formally release water through the Radial Crest Gates on Saturday.
