14 crest gates of the Nagarjuna Sagar dam in Telangana opened due to strong inflows

Owing to heavy water inflow into the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir, 14 crest gates were opened on Sunday. The Nalgonda district administration since August 21 has imposed curfew under section 144 to prevent tourists from visiting the dam and Krishna river banks.

Of the 26 crest gates of the dam, 14 were lifted on Sunday when water level touched 580 feet, the full reservoir storage level of the dam is 590 feet, reported Sakshi Post. 

The excess water is being let off into the Pulichintala project. On August 21 morning four of the gates were opened when Nagarjuna Sagar touched 583 feet. Hours later irrigation department officials opened 12 of the crest gates to keep up the water level from breaching the maximum storage level.

Since August 21 officials of Suryapet and Nalgonda district police, revenue authorities and municipality officials have also imposed Section 144 along the Krishna river bank and the Nagarjunasagar dam. Section 144 prohibits assembly of five or more people, holding of public meetings and is being used to prevent tourist activity.

16 gates of Nagarjunasagar dam opened on Sunday. A section 144 in place, to discourage tourists and movement of people close to the river banks. pic.twitter.com/yj01cBtWQd

— Mithun MK (@KalkiSpeaks) August 23, 2020

Telangana Today quoted the Chief Engineer of NSP Narsimha as saying that the reservoir had been receiving inflows from July and water was being released to the left canal and AMRP canal since August 7. The inflow into the NSP began with the lifting of gates at the Srisailam project upstream the Krishna river. 

The Indian Meteorological Department on Sunday reported that Telangana witnessed isolated rains since Saturday with deficient rain being reported from 10 districts.

Due to the incessant rains in Telangana, more than 3 lakh acres of crops have been submerged in water, the agriculture department said in its preliminary report. In the recent rains, Warangal rural district was the worst affected with over one lakh acre of crops suffering water inundation.