Sri Ram Sagar Project spillway gates lifted

Nizamabad: Four spillway gates of Sri Ram Sagar Project reservoir were lifted to two feet height on Monday evening, releasing 12,500 cusecs of flood water.

Before switching on the motors to lift the gates, Chief Engineer Shankar, SE Sunil Deshpande, EE Ramarao, Deputy EE Jagdish, other engineers and TNGO fourth class staff of SRSP performed puja and offered prayers. The decision to lift the gates was taken as the water level in SRSP reservoir crossed 1083 feet against its full reservoir level of 1091/332.54 MT feet.

At 7 am on Monday, the water storage in the SRSP reservoir was 89 TMC ft against it's full capacity of 90.313 TMC ft. At 3.30 pm, water released from RC gates of SRSP with a discharge of 12,500 cusecs by lifting four gates up to two 2 feet hight.

Flood water into the reservoir was already began in August. CWC forecast rapid rise in flows into Jayakwadi Dam, one of the largest irrigation projects, and Vishnupuri barrage, the largest lift irrigation project in Maharashtra, situated near Nanded city will result in floods to SRSP.

SRSP Chief Engineer Shankar advised people to be vigilant in Nizamabad, Nirmal, Jagtial and Mancherial districts of Godavari River basin. He warned not to venture into the river.

Officials estimated that about 50,000 cusecs of water is coming into the SRSP project from Maharashtra.