Heavy rain in the catchment areas of River Krishna during the past one week led to good inflows into the Priyadarshini Jurala Project or Jurala dam in Gadwal and outflows from this directly go into the Srisailam project, which has been receiving 70,000 cusecs to 1 lakh cusecs from all sources.
The Sangameswaram Siva temple in the backwaters of the Srisailam reservoir began submerging on Sunday with water entering the sanctum sanctorum for the first time this season.
Kurnool district recorded a total rainfall of 938.8 mm in 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Sunday with an average of 17.4 mm in 39 mandals, which also contributed to the rise in water level in the reservoir. The highest rainfall was recorded in Chagalamarri mandal (117.6 mm) and the lowest of 1.6 mm in Peapully mandal in the district, according to the Chief Planning Officer.
The water level in the Srisailam reservoir was 842 feet against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 885 feet with a storage of 64.90 tmcft against 215 tmcft at the FRL. While the reservoir was getting 69,676 cusecs at noon on Sunday, the outflows from the Jurala project reduced to 42,972 cusecs from 65,977 cusecs on Saturday.
Submergence of the Sangameswaram temple is an annual feature and the last puja inside the sanctum sanctorum could be conducted on Saturday when the water just touched the boundary walls and the entrance gate. By Sunday afternoon, there was two feet water inside the temple, said chief priest Telakapalli Raghurama Sarma.
The temple submerged on July 20 in 2019 and resurfaced on March 6, but due to COVID-19, devotees were not allowed to visit till June 8 and the darshan was stopped on July 18.
Lift scheme
The State government, meanwhile, has put all details about the proposed ₹3,278.18-crore Rayalaseema Lift Scheme on the A.P. Judicial Preview website. The project proposes to draw 3 tmcft of water daily from Pothyreddypadu to deliver into the Srisailam Right Main Canal (SRMC), about 4 km away, to irrigate the Rayalaseema region. It has invited suggestions and objections on the project.
Published - July 20, 2020 12:05 am IST
