The year 2015 has been a watershed year for the areas that depend on the Krishna waters for cultivation of crops.

With utilisation of water over and above their allocated share by the upstream states of Karnataka and Maharashtra, the existing, ongoing, and proposed schemes on the Krishna are facing severe to acute shortage of water for irrigation, industrial, and even drinking purposes.

This situation was well predicted by engineers the moment the Central Government granted permission for raising the height of Alamatti Dam in Karnataka.

Andhra Pradesh has no alternative but to look to the floodwater of the Godavari to cater to its future needs. The capacity of the proposed tail-end dam on the river at Polavaram is just 75 tmcft.

The mammoth Polavaram project phase-I is scheduled to be completed by the State government by 2018.

Unfortunately, there are no reservoirs on the Godavari in the State.

The government has to plan for more reservoirs on either side of both the Left and Right Main canals of the Polavaram Project by lifting floodwater from these canals. There are a number of suitable places for locating reservoirs in the hills located upstream the Polavaram Left Main Canal (PLMC) that takes water to North Andhra.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Polavaram Right Main Canal (PRMC).

There is, however, the possibility of developing four reservoirs with the cumulative capacity to store 30 tmcft at the tail-end of Budameru Diversion Channel near Kondapalli Reserve Forest.

The Kondapalli Reservoir would cater to not only the needs of the new capital but also the industries that would develop in the vicinity.

Former Superintending Engineer, who is an authority on the Polavaram Project, K. Haranath, said that as per the Hydraulics particulars of the project as approved by the Central Water Commission (CWC), the peak demand of PRMC was 12,600 cusecs. Out of this, the demand for Krishna Delta was 8,200 cusecs and the balance 3,400 cusecs was for the ayacut of the PRMC. But the PRMC was being executed with a head discharge of 17,500 cusecs.

Thus, there was a surplus discharge of 4,900 cusecs. Hence the total available discharge for Krishna Delta would be 13,100, which was more than the total required discharge of 11,754 cusecs for the ayacut of entire Krishna Delta. The total demand of 11,574 cusecs of Krishna Delta could be met from the flood waters of Godavari and Budameru during the flood period of 90 days of August, September, and October months.

During rainy and flood days in River Krishna, the water from Budameru Diversion Channel is proposed to be pumped and stored in Kondapalli Reservoir, he said.

“After a day of rain, water is not released into the canals for two or three days. At such times, the water can be lifted to the Kondapalli reservoir and stored,” he said.

As the water would cater to the needs of the capital, funds going to be released by the Central Government for the building of the capital could be used for it, Mr. Haranath said.