Kandaleru Dam:
The Andhra Pradesh government recently stopped the release of Krishna River water to Chennai from the Kandaleru reservoir.
- Kandaleru Dam is a major irrigation and water-supply project located in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.
- It is built across the Kandaleru River, a tributary of the Pennar (Penna)
Key Construction Features:
- Built using earthen materials (soil and rocks), making it one of the largest earthen dams in India.
- It is one of the longest reservoirs in the country.
- It connects with the Somasila Reservoir, ensuring smooth water distribution.
- It is designed to handle high water pressure, ensuring long-term durability.
- It has a substantial storage capacity, with a maximum capacity of 68 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) of water.
- This capacity ensures a reliable supply for irrigation, drinking, and industrial purposes.
- It also helps in flood control during the monsoon season by regulating the flow of the Kandaleru River.
- This project is a key component of the Telugu Ganga project, which facilitates the supply of drinking water to Chennai city from the Srisailam Reservoir on the Krishna River.
- The Telugu Ganga Project was approved in 1977, after an agreement between Tamil Nadu and the states from where the Krishna River flows i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
- A network of canals and tunnels transports water to irrigation lands and Chennai (Kandaleru–Poondi canal).
