Hyderabad: The sharing of water from the Srisailam dam between TS and AP could be problematic due to the maintainance of water levels.

There is no problem in releasing water to downstream Nagarjunasgar from where Telangana state can draw drinking water for Hyderabad city, Khammam and Nalgonda districts and Andhra Pradesh for Guntur and Prakasam districts till the level at Srisailam is above 854 feet.

AP will not be able to draw water below that level to supply to Kurnool, Anantapur and Kadapa districts and Chennai til the next monsoon.

“We have to maintain the Srisailam water level above 854 ft level.

“The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) has given only 5 tmc ft for Pothireddypadu canal, and that will be exhausted by Monday,” said Srisailam dam chief engineer Narayana Reddy.

Narayan Reddy said he had already placed an indent for another 5 tmc ft with the KRMB.

If the 854 ft level has to be maintained at Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar from where TS takes its supplies will not get any water.

“The KRMB board meeting in October will have to formulate a working table on who will release how much water till the next monsoon. It is a difficult issue,” officer on special duty Sridhar Deshpande at the Telangana irrigation ministry said.