Tungabhadra Board to let out water to High Level Canal

Anantapur: It is good news to farmers. The Tungabhadra Board is all set to release water into the High Level Canal (HLC) which flows into the three districts of Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa either on July 24 or 25. 

For the first time, all the crest gates were opened to facilitate free flow of flood waters from different sources into the dam. Tungabhadra Dam is teeming with life with inflows from several quarters in the Karnataka State diverted to the dam.

The dam is almost full to its capacity. The inflows are still continuing into the Tungabhadra dam. The engineers are making arrangements to release water to HLC. 

The water which is likely to be released on Monday at the 105 km check-post at Bellary in Karnataka is expected to arrive on Tuesday into AP border at Bommanahal mandal at 105.437 km point.

The total HLC ayacut area of the three districts is 2.85 lakh acres. Besides hundreds of villages and towns which fall under the ayacut area, in the districts also get drinking water. 

The original allotment of water to HLC is 32.5 million gallons of water but due to the reservoir capacity declining because of silt formation in the reservoir, water supply to HLC had gone down to 18-19 tmc of water. However, the present situation is rosy with heavy inflows of flood waters into the dam. 

About 25 tmcft of water is expected to be released to HLC. The Water Resources department is busy preparing action plans for allocation of water to different branch canals in the district.

The Irrigation Consultative Board (ICB) will meet on August 4 to decide allocations to different branch canals in the district so as to render justice to all the mandals in the district. All MLAs and MPs would attend the meeting to ensure fair allocations to different regions. 

The water which reaches the district will be initially stored in the PABR and MPR dams. The authorities would finally release water to different branch canals and sub-branch canals after August 15.

After August 25, water will be further diverted to Guntakal branch canal, Anantapur branch canal and Guntakal sub-branch canals. The Mid-Pennar branch canal will get water in October.