The Tungabhadra Board had to reduce the holding capacity of the dam temporarily on account of all 33 gates becoming weak, unable to hold water till the volume reaches 105 tmcft.
Published Jun 06, 2025 | 9:41 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 06, 2025 | 9:41 AM
Water flowing out of Tungabhadra dam.
Synopsis: The decision of the Tungabhadra Board to impound only 88 thousand tmcft of water might help Jurala and Srisailam reservoirs get more water and come as a blessing in disguise for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The decision of the Tungabhadra Board to impound only 88 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water as against its full reservoir capacity of 105.788 tmcft this year might come as a blessing in disguise for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Even though it is still a long way to go before the reservoir gets 88 tmcft, the decision to let excess inflows downstream of the river might help Jurala and Srisailam reservoirs get more water, as it happened in 2024. It would also ensure enough water for the Rajoli Banda Diversion Scheme (RDS) at Raichur in Karnataka, from where Telangana’s Gadwal district gets water.
The water level at the Tungabhadra reservoir on Thursday, 5 June, was 1,599 ft as against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 1,633 ft. The availability of water was 21.09 tmcft as against its gross storage capacity of 105.788 tmcft.
Inflows were 7905 cusecs, and outflows were almost nil at 246 cusecs. It is expected that the inflows will increase into the reservoir going forward as the catchment areas of the river are experiencing rainfall.
The Tungabhadra Board had to reduce the holding capacity of the dam temporarily on account of all 33 gates becoming weak, unable to hold water till the volume reaches 105 tmcft.
Tungabhadra Board secretary ORK Reddy said in a statement recently that water over and above 88 tmcft will be let down the dam in pursuance of the recommendations made by Kannayya Naidu, advisor to the Andhra Pradesh government on irrigation, after inspecting all the gates of the dam in April this year.
Reddy said, “Kannayya Naidu worked as a Hydro mechanical engineer for four decades at the Tungabhadra reservoir. He suggested replacing all the gates of the reservoir as they had become weak. Accordingly, we have decided to hold only 80 tmcft of water in the reservoir. This water is sufficient to grow crops once a year, meet industrial and drinking water requirements.”
On 10 August 2024, gate No. 19 was washed away due to huge inflows into the reservoir. Though a temporary arrangement has been made in the place of the gate that had been washed away, a new gate has to be installed on a priority basis, at least by August, and arrangements for the replacement of the remaining 32 gates this year.
According to sources, the tender has been finalised for the replacement of Gate No. 19 and for the remaining 32 gates, too, the process is on for their replacement. It is estimated that for the replacement of all the gages, it might cost up to ₹80 crore, which would be shared by the three states in accordance with the formula agreed upon, which would be commensurate with the water that they get from the reservoir.
The Tungabhadra Dam, located in Hospet in Karnataka, is a critical inter-state project. It impacts the irrigation, water supply, and power generation in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Its outflows and canal systems have a bearing on the two states in several ways, based on allocated water shares, agricultural dependency and downstream effects.
Its canal systems, including the High-Level Main Canal (HLMC), Low-Level Canal (LLC), and other distributaries, supply water for irrigation in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, directly impacting agricultural productivity.
Telangana receives a relatively smaller share of water from the Tungabhadra Dam, primarily through the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS). The RDS supports irrigation in parts of Telangana, particularly in the Gadwal district. This water is vital for crops like paddy, which require a consistent water supply.
Andhra Pradesh gets a significant share of the water through HLMC and LLC, primarily serving Kurnool, Anantapur, and parts of Kadapa districts.
The HLMC supplies water to Anantapur and parts of Kadapa to meet the requirements of the drought-prone Rayalaseema regions. However, the canal’s poor condition is limiting its capacity to 2,000 cusecs instead of the designed 3,500 cusecs.
The dam’s water is crucial for crops in Rayalaseema, particularly paddy and other water-intensive crops. Heavy inflows, such as the 597.62 tmc recorded in 2022, significantly boost agricultural productivity, but infrastructure issues like the old HLMC restrict full utilisation. In 2024, even after the loss of 35 tmcft due to a damaged crest gate, Andhra Pradesh benefited from releases of 10,075 cusecs through HLMC, LLC, and other canals.
In July and August 2024, the forced release of water due to a damaged crest gate increased inflows to Srisailam, enabling Telangana to generate 355.91 million units of power from 1 to 10 August 2024, at Jurala, Srisailam, and Nagarjunasagar. The Jurala project, downstream of Tungabhadra, benefits from high inflows.
Andhra Pradesh also generates power at Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar, with contributions from Tungabhadra’s outflows. In July 2024, Andhra Pradesh generated 93.3 million units at Nagarjunasagar, and from 1 to 10 August, 120.74 million units, for which the inflows into the Krishna from the Tungabhadra river were also quite helpful.
Even though there is no threat of flooding as of now, it is a distinct possibility if there are huge inflows, such as 1.16 lakh cusecs witnessed in 2019. The floods may affect villages along the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers in Narayanpet and Jogulamba-Gadwal districts in Telangana.
Heavy releases, such as the 1.65 lakh cusecs in August 2024, prompted flood alerts in low-lying areas of Kurnool and Raichur districts. Historical sites like the Saint Purandara Mantap and temples in Hampi faced submergence risks.
The Tungabhadra Dam’s water is shared among Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana as per agreements under the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal.
The total use of water identified for the project is approximately 220 tmcft, with Karnataka entitled to 151 tmc and Andhra Pradesh to 79 tmc, while Telangana’s share is small, routed through the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
