Andhra Prades

KRMB missive to Telangana on Nagarjuna Sagar releases

The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has asked Telangana State to stop water releases through the Left Power House at Srisailam project.

In a letter to Telangana Engineer in Chief (Irrigation) dated Monday, the KRMB Member Secretary Harikesh Meena said that the cumulative inflows at Srisailam were 54.98 tmc from July 21 to 30. TS Genco has drawn 32.27 tmc. It is detrimental to drinking water requirements of drought-prone areas of Rayalaseema and Nellore, and fluoride-affected areas of Prakasam and Guntur districts in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

The Member Secretary said that necessary instructions may be issued to concerned officials to stop the water releases through the Left Power House. He also wanted Telangana State to inform the KRMB on the action taken.

It may be recalled that the Andhra Pradesh EnC (Irrigation) brought the notice of the KRMB that Telangana was drawing water for power generation without the approval of the KRMB. The depletion of water through power houses only for power generation was against the operational protocol for water use in Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) as mentioned in the GO 69, dated 15.06.1996. Power generation at Power Houses at Srisailam should be done only if the reservoir level is +854 ft as per the GO 107 dated 28.09.2004 and water is released to Nagarjuna Sagar and Prakasam Barrage for irrigation requirements, the EnC pointed out.

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