Jawaharlal Nehru hailed River Valley projects, factories, steel plants, etc as Modern Temples. Senior Journalist late Pothuri Venkateswara Rao in his Autobiography, Vidhi Naa Saarathi (విధి నా సారథి-Destiny my charioteer) brought forth a lesser-known fact: the Planning Commission, presided over by the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was not prepared to sanction the two projects, Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam Projects, across the Krishna River, as demanded by Andhra Pradesh. It was either, or; not both. Failed to persuade the Planning Commission, the then chief minister AP Neelam Sanjeev Reddy, in protest walked out. Sensing the mood of the chief minister, the Panning Commission gave its nod for both the projects. Foundation stone for the Nagarjuna Sagar Project was laid on December 10, 1955, by Nehru himself.
Nehru laid the foundation stone for Srisailam Project on 24 July 1963. A student of Osmania College, sporting a Gandhi cap I stood on the road near the Government General Hospital, Kurnool, and shook hands with the PM when he was going on in open-top Zeep to Srisailam after addressing a public meeting at the Coles Memorial Grounds on July 25,193 forenoon.
The Srisailam dam was constructed in a deep gorge in the Nallamala Hills in between Kurnool and Mahabubnagar districts, 300 m (980 ft) above sea level. It is 512 m (1,680 ft) long, 145 meters (476 ft) maximum height and has 12 radial crest gates. It has a reservoir of 616 square km. The project has an estimated live capacity to hold 215 TMC at its full reservoir level of 885 feet (270 m) MSL.
Srisailam Left Bank Power Unit fire accident
The left bank underground power station houses 6 × 150 megawatts (200,000 hp) reversible Francis-pump turbines for pumped-storage operation (each Turbine can pump 200 cusecs) and the right bank semi-underground power station houses 7 × 110 megawatts (150,000 hp) Francis-turbine generators.
The Srisailam project began in 1963, initially as a power project. After several delays, the main dam was finally completed twenty years later, on 26 July 1980.
In the meantime, the project was converted into a multipurpose facility with a generating capacity of 770 megawatts (1,030,000 hp) by its second stage which was completed in 1987. The dam is to provide water for an estimated 2,000 square kilometers.
Under the right bank branch canal, 790 square kilometers in Kurnool, Ananthapur, Kadapa, Nellore, and Chittoor Districts assured irrigation.
From the initial modest estimate of ₹.384.7 million for a power project, the total cost of the multipurpose project was estimated to cross ₹10 billion in its enlarged form.
The dam has alone cost ₹4.04 billion together with the installation of four generating sets of 110 MW each. The right bank branch canal is estimated to cost ₹4.49 billion and the initial investment of ₹1.4 billion has been provided by the World Bank.
The projected cost-benefit ratio of the project has been worked out at 1:1.91 at 10% interest on capital outlay. In 1998 a cofferdam was overtopped by flooding. The powerhouse required repairs and did not generate power for a year. On 2 October 2009, the Srisailam dam experienced a record inflow that threatened the dam.
Irrigation schemes
Srisailam right main canal (SRMC) is constructed with 44,000 cusecs capacity at Srisailam reservoir level of 850 ft MSL, drawn at Pothyreddypadu Head Regulator in Kurnool District to feed Veligodu reservoir (16.95 tmcft), Brahmamsagar Reservoir (17.74 tmcft), Alaganoor reservoir (2.97 tmcft), Gorakallu reservoir (12.44 tmcft), Owk reservoir (4.15 tmcft), Gandikota Reservoir (26.86 tmcft), Mylavaram reservoir (9.98 tmcft), Somasila reservoir (78 tmcft) and Kandeleru reservoir (68 tmcft) with nearly 215 Tmcft total storage capacity.
This canal also supplies water to the Telugu Ganga project which carries Krishna river water to Chennai city for its drinking purpose.
This main canal by feeding water to K. C. Canal, Srisailam right bank canal, Telugu Ganga canal, and Galeru Nagari canal irrigates vast areas in Kurnool, Kadapa, Chittoor and Nellore districts. Handri-Neeva lift canal by drawing water from the Srisailam reservoir supplies drinking water in all the districts of Rayalaseema.
Veligonda Poola Subbaiah reservoir, near Dornala in Prakasam Dist receives water by gravity through tunnels to irrigate lands in Nellore, Kadapa, and Prakasam districts.
Kalwakurthy lifts irrigation scheme by drawing water from the Srisailam reservoir supplies irrigation water in undivided Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts. Srisailam left bank canal receives water by gravity through tunnels to irrigate lands in Nalgonda district.
Dam Maintenance and Safety
Systematic Neglect is evident in the maintenance of the dam and lack of any modernization attempts of the powerhouse.
The officers report a shortage of maintenance staff. Safety concerns over the second-largest Hydroelectric project in the country have been raised over the years.
In 2009, the dam, which was designed for a maximum flood of 19 lakh cusecs, endured a flood of 25.5 lakh cusecs.
According to a survey conducted in the summer of 2018, the scouring resulted in the formation of a huge pit (plunge pool) in the apron downstream of the dam. And a structure protecting the ‘toe’ and foundation of the main dam has weakened. Efforts have not yet been made to repair and maintain the dam.
Power generation optimization
At present, the initial inflows into the Srisailam reservoir are stored excessively without using for power generation. The floodwater fills the remaining empty Srisailam reservoir quickly and most of the floodwater overflows into the downstream Nagarjunasagar reservoir without being used for power generation.
The endeavor shall be to fill the Nagarjunasagar reservoir fully with the uniform water released through the power generating units.
However, during the 2020-’21 water year, Govt of Telangana has started generating 6 × 150 M.Wtts of Power at the Left Bank Power as soon as the water reached the safe level of storage.
The Govt of AP has started generating power only after the reservoir has surplus water. Right Bank Power House is built above the Tail Pond Level; hence the threat of it going disrepair is less.
Whereas the Left Bank Power House with Reversible Turbine systems is constructed below the Tail Pond Level. There is a possibility, particularly during flood season, of the silt accumulating in the Turbines and the consequent constant threat of damage to the system. Constant vigilance and regular maintenance is a must for such mechanisms. Even an iota of negligence may prove fatal.
The fire broke out in the Left Bank Power House on the intervening night of 20th and 21st, August 2020. Nine precious lives, almost all of them budding Engineers were lost instantaneously. There appears to be cogent proof that they were trying to bring the crisis under control. It must have been beyond the reach of human power. The Telangana State Power Generation Corporation (TSPGENCO) has appointed a fact-finding committee of experts. Any action can be initiated only after the Committee submits its report.
In the meanwhile the Government and the TSPGENCO have to explore possibilities of repairs and generating the power as the precious floodwaters are flowing waste into the Bay of Bengal; an estimated 600 tmcft till the middle of August 2020.
Politicians shall shed partisan attitudes and adopt a constructive approach. Instead of finding fault with the AP Government’s water projects based on Krishna waters, the Telangana Govt, the political parties, and the people must plan to utilize the resources going waste.
The Govt of Telangana has appointed a committee with some senior-most police officers of the State to enquire about the fire accident in the Srisailam Power Generation project.
Knowledgeable sources retired engineers, involved in the construction of the dam term it as ‘imprudent.’ Policemen may be helpful to detect and prosecute criminals, which is purely non-technical.
The cause of the accident will probably be investigated by the Committee appointed by the GENCO. It is too early to think of any criminal negligence at this stage.
As the Telugu proverb says it is like pounding the wounded finger (గోరు సుట్టుపై రోకలి పోటు). Police mean crime and coating. Should the innocent serving staff of the TSGENCO be subjected to police coating?
Does Lord Mallikarjuna approve of such actions? The souls of Nehru and Sanjeev Reddy may be seething with anger. Gadicharla Harisarvotham Rao who mooted the idea of the project in Madras Legislative Assembly in 1928 and laid the road from Dornala to Srisailam may be shedding tears in his grave!
