Why Telangana reservoirs may not get much relief despite monsoon rains
HYDERABAD: Hopes that widespread rain in Maharashtra and Karnataka will boost inflows into Telangana’s Krishna and Godavari reservoirs are fading. Weather forecasts show monsoon activity weakening over the next few days. A dry spell could then last for nearly two weeks.
Telangana’s reservoirs currently hold 338.49 tmc ft of water against a combined storage capacity of 1,059.3 tmc ft. Most major reservoirs remain well below full capacity.
Krishna basin inflows likely to weaken
The Ujjani dam in Maharashtra, a key reservoir in the Krishna basin, is expected to receive inflows of more than 1.45 lakh cusecs on Tuesday. Inflows could rise to around 1.78 lakh cusecs later this week. However, forecasts show a sharp decline after July 13, with inflows dropping to between 12,000 and 30,000 cusecs.
The downstream Almatti dam is expected to receive peak inflows of about 95,000 cusecs before they fall to around 27,000 cusecs. Water from Almatti eventually reaches Telangana. Despite the expected inflows, Almatti currently stores only 21.18 tmc ft of water and still has a flood cushion of 108.54 tmc ft.
The outlook further downstream remains poor. Jurala, Telangana’s first project on the Krishna, is likely to receive a maximum inflow of only 800 cusecs over the next week. Srisailam, the first major reservoir downstream in Andhra Pradesh, may receive just 100 cusecs.
Pranahita keeps Godavari flows steady
The Godavari basin is expected to perform slightly better. Strong flows from the Pranahita, which is flowing close to flood level, continue to support the river. Combined flows could peak at around 1.29 lakh cusecs before declining to about 60,000 cusecs by July 13.
The Pranahita continues to feed the Godavari after the two rivers merge. Medigadda barrage, now at the centre of a renewed political dispute between the BRS and the Congress, is expected to receive peak inflows of around 1.43 lakh cusecs. These flows could fall to nearly 60,000 cusecs by the weekend.
Since authorities cannot store water at Medigadda, the entire flow is moving downstream towards Bhadrachalam.
Other reservoirs capable of storing water, including the Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP), Yellampalli, and Kaddam, are expected to receive only limited inflows. Forecasts indicate inflows of 100 to 1,000 cusecs during the week ending July 13. These volumes are unlikely to improve Telangana’s reservoir storage significantly.
