The Proposal: This is the third link to connect the rivers Krishna and Pennar and proposes to divert 12,146 Mcum of water from Nagarjunasagar to Pennar.  The total length of the link canal is about 393 km.  The enroute irrigation proposed from this link canal is of the order of 5.81 lakh hectares entirely in the State of Andhra Pradesh by utilizing 3,264 Mcum of water, of which 908 Mcum of water will be used for irrigating 1.68 lakh hectares in between Gundlakamma and Pennar rivers and 2,356 Mcum for irrigating part area of Nagarjunasagar RBC to an extent of 4.13 lakh hectares.  A quantity of 124 Mcum is provided for enroute water supply needs and 332 Mcum of water being accounted for transmission losses; and the remaining 8,426 Mcum of water being considered as the available water at Somasila for further diversion to Cauvery and Vaigai. This link project also has canal powerhouse at the head of the link canal with an installed capacity of 90 MW of power. NWDA has completed the feasibility study of the proposal.

Engineering Aspect: The link does not envisage construction of any new reservoir.  It proposes to utilize the existing reservoir viz. Nagarjunasagar on Krishna and Somasila on Pennar.   The reservoir at Nagarjunasagar has a gross storage capacity of 11,560 Mcum at FRL 179.83 m and live storage capacity of 5,733 Mcum.  The reservoir at Somasila has a gross storage capacity of 2,208 Mcum at FRL 100.58 m and a live storage capacity of 1,994 Mcum.  The total length of the link canal from Nagarjunasagar to its outfall into Somasila reservoir is about 393 km.  The right bank canal of the Nagarjunasagar is known as Jawahar Canal takes off at FSL of 151.67 m from Nagarjunasagar reservoir, so also the Nagarjunasagar –Somasila link canal.  The link canal for the first 203 km will run parallel to the existing Nagarjunasagar RBC and carry 8,146 Mcum and thereafter along a new alignment carrying 9,790 Mcum including 1,644 Mcum transferred from Nagarjunasagar right bank canal.  The Nagarjunasagar Right Bank canal has the carrying capacity of 4,000 Mcum and a quantity of 1,623 Mcum is proposed to be received through Inchampalli-Pulichintala link.  Since the Nagarjunasagar right bank canal requirement is 3,979 Mcum, a quantity of 1,644 Mcum (4000+1623-3979) has been transferred to the link canal at RD 203 km.  This link canal will deliver about 8,426 Mcum of water into Somasila reservoir and is proposed to be operated for a period of 240 days in a year with the designed discharge of the canal at RD 202.75 km. as 565 cumecs.

Environmental Issue: In this link also no new area will come under submergence as the existing Nagarjunasagar and Somasila reservoirs will be used in this proposal.  Sufficient flows will be ensured downstream of the diversion point to safeguard the water quality. 

Index Map