Water crisis looms as Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam left with only 15 TMC usable water

Hyderabad: Telangana is staring at a deepening water shortage as water levels in the crucial Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam reservoirs drop to alarming lows. Combined, the two major Krishna basin projects now have only 15 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water available for use—raising serious concerns about meeting drinking and irrigation needs in the coming months.

At Nagarjuna Sagar, the current water level stands at 514 feet, just four feet above the dead storage mark of 510 feet. Although the reservoir holds 138 TMC in total, only about 7 TMC lies above usable levels. Meanwhile, Srisailam has already fallen below its dead storage level of 834 feet, with current levels at 814 feet. The live storage there is estimated at 37 TMC, though only 8 TMC can realistically be tapped.

Accounting for evaporation losses and transit inefficiencies, officials estimate that only 12 TMC of the 15 TMC is practically usable. However, the total projected requirement from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh stands at 26.2 TMC—Telangana seeking 16.2 TMC and Andhra Pradesh 10 TMC—leaving a deficit of over 14 TMC.

The situation has become more contentious following Andhra Pradesh’s latest move to request an additional 10 TMC of water via the right canal of the Nagarjuna Sagar project, citing drinking water needs. The state has formally submitted an indent to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), seeking approval for withdrawal until May 31.

This request has triggered alarm among Telangana officials, who fear that if the board approves Andhra’s demand, it would push Telangana into deeper crisis. If Andhra Pradesh extracts water from Nagarjuna Sagar, Telangana will be forced to install lift systems to draw water from dead storage levels—an expensive and logistically taxing alternative.

Telangana authorities have expressed concern that Andhra Pradesh may even attempt to access water below dead storage, by raising canal gates and drawing water directly, placing further operational and financial strain on Telangana. The cost of deploying motors and infrastructure to lift water from such depths, officials warn, would have to be borne by Telangana.

As the dispute intensifies, officials are closely watching the KRMB’s response to Andhra Pradesh’s request. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for both states’ water security in the months ahead.