Rains Refill Andhra Pradesh's Parched Tanks and Reservoirs
Heavy rains replenish water sources across Andhra Pradesh, refilling dried tanks and reservoirs and prompting floodwater regulation at Prakasam Barrage.
Two days of rain have dramatically altered the parched landscape of Andhra Pradesh, refilling tanks and reservoirs that had been left baked and cracked by a prolonged dry spell linked to El Niño conditions.
In June, the tank beds in Alluru and Gaadhepalem villages near Ongole were dry and fissured, with concrete wells standing exposed. Villagers trekked long distances carrying pots and plastic containers for drinking water, while cattle roamed across empty lake beds. The same areas now present a starkly different picture, with fresh rainwater covering the cracked earth and turning barren stretches into sheets of water.
The shift is especially notable in the tail-end areas of Prakasam district, where several village tanks had dried up over the summer. In August, irrigation authorities released water from the Ramateertham Reservoir through the Nagarjuna Sagar Right Canal network to replenish summer storage tanks in these villages. Officials said the release was intended to meet drinking water needs rather than irrigation. The recent rains have since filled many of these tanks, submerging the exposed beds and improving local water availability.
In Vijayawada, rising inflows into the Krishna River basin led the Water Resources Department to lift the gates of the Prakasam Barrage to regulate floodwater discharge. Officials continued to monitor inflows and adjust releases as water levels climbed.
In Visakhapatnam, the Mudasarlova Reservoir, which had earlier recorded depleted storage, received sufficient inflows following the rains. The Gambheeram Gedda Reservoir, where only a few patches of water were visible just two days ago, is now filled to the brim.
The changes follow a period when the Krishna River had receded due to deficit rainfall, leaving sand dunes where youth played cricket and no discharge from the Prakasam Barrage. With incessant rains upstream, many rivulets and streams began overflowing, and fishermen returned to the river after officials released water from the barrage. Heavy rainfall, influenced by a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal, also sent water cascading down the steps of Simhachalam hill in Visakhapatnam.