With about two months to go for the onset of monsoon, the water has hit rock bottom in the reservoirs and the ground water position in the State, particularly the drought-prone Rayalaseema districts is precariously low.
While the water level in Srisailam project is dangerously low (813.6 feet against the full reservoir level of 885 feet) having only 36.45 tmcft of water, the Telangana government which has control of the Nagarjuna Sagar project is insisting that water be released from the reservoir upstream (Srisailam, which is in the control of Andhra Pradesh) so that it can release water into the Nagarjuna Sagar Right Main canal. The NS Right canal is the only source of drinking water to Guntur, Prakasam and a part of Nellore district. The predominantly rainfed Rayalaseema districts are slowly descending into the grip of drought with the groundwater also drying up.
Deficit rainfall
The State received a rainfall deficit of 32% since June 1, 2018. While the average level of groundwater fell to 63.60 metres below the ground in the State the situation is worse in Ralayaseema. Even very powerful submersible motors cannot pump up water from such depths.
The State government has fixed 8 metres below ground as the maximum limit to save electricity and prevent over exploitation of groundwater. In the absence of an alternative source, the farmers and others have to draw groundwater. The groundwater has fallen to 91 metres below ground level (average) in Anantapur, 89 metres in Kadapa, 84 metres in Chittoor and 82.80 metres. To make the matters worse, the 108 major reservoirs in the State are three-fourths empty and water in most is below the minimum draw down level (MDDL).
Chittoor district seems to have used the maximum of its groundwater reserve since June 1, 2018. While 82.07 tmcft of groundwater has been used up in Chittoor, in Kadapa 80.07 tmcft, Anantapur 70.46 tmcft and Prakasam 41.04 tmcft of groundwater has been used in this season.