Srisailam project an engineering marvel
Srisailam (Kurnool): Exactly, fifty years ago on July 24, 1963, the then prime minister Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation to a multipurpose project on River Krishna at Srisailam at the feet of the presiding deity Bhramarambika Mallikarjuna Swamy which has in due course turned the fortunes of the State.
His daughter the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi dedicated the project to the country in a function on August 3, 1984.
The engineering marvel of the project was the brainchild of the then chief minister Dr Neelam Sanjiva Reddy which is now irrigating under the Srisailam Right Branch Canal (SRBC) and Srisailam Left Branch Canal (SLBC) several lakhs of acres in the State. Not only that, the project is also generating two-thirds of hydel power in the State.
Named after the then chief minister and later became President of India Dr Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, the project was constructed between two large hills in the midst of Nallamala forest.
The construction of the project was itself an engineering marvel. The heavy flow of River Krishna was stopped using huge boulders weighing about 10 tonnes and two copper dams were constructed to divert water so that irrigation was not suffered.
Two diversion tunnels one on the left side and another on the right side were constructed to release water for irrigation. The dam was constructed at 905 ft above sea level. The 512 metre length dam would hold water up to 308 tmc at a depth of 885 ft. The dam contains 12 radial crest gates each 60 ft width and 55 ft length.
The multipurpose project is generating cheap hydel power at the same providing irrigation to several lakhs of acres under the SRBC and SLBC.
The multipurpose project which was completed construction some thirty years ago, withstood the aggressive floods to River Krishna in 2009 giving testimony to the quality of construction.
News Posted: 24 July, 2013
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