Hyderabad: With heavy rainfall lashing upstream catchment areas, Nagarjuna Sagar is witnessing a sharp rise in water levels as major Krishna basin projects release floodwaters downstream.
On Tuesday, authorities at Srisailam opened four crest gates, releasing 1.14 lakh cusecs through its hydropower units. The outflow triggered steady inflows into Nagarjuna Sagar, where water levels climbed to 532 feet by evening. The full reservoir level is 590 feet, with the current storage at 172.07 TMC against a capacity of 312.04 TMC.
Officials noted that the inflow into Nagarjuna Sagar stood at 1,14,146 cusecs, while 4,590 cusecs were being discharged downstream. Drinking water releases included 3,090 cusecs through the Paleru canal for Khammam and 1,500 cusecs to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).
Farmers along the left canal command area welcomed the early surge, with many already preparing paddy nurseries. Last year, inflows arrived late. This year, heavy monsoon rainfall in the upper catchment has brought floodwaters to the reservoir in the first week of July.
The developments are expected to ease water stress in both rural irrigation zones and urban drinking water grids across Telangana.
