Rain transforms drought-hit reservoirs and village tanks in Andhra Pradesh

Heavy rain has rapidly changed the landscape across parts of Andhra Pradesh, refilling village tanks and reservoirs that had been left dry during a prolonged spell of deficient rainfall. The Hindu reported that tank beds near Ongole, including those at Alluru and Gaadhepalem, had been baked and cracked in June. Villagers had travelled long distances to collect drinking water, while cattle moved across empty lake beds.

After two days of rain, water covered the exposed earth and replenished several local sources. Increased inflows also led the Water Resources Department to lift the gates of the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada and regulate floodwater releases. The Mudasarlova Reservoir in Visakhapatnam, which had recorded depleted storage, received substantial inflows.

Gambheeram Gedda Reservoir also changed from showing only small patches of water to being filled to the brim. The turnaround was particularly significant in the tail-end areas of Prakasam district, where several tanks had dried during the summer. Irrigation authorities had released water from the Ramateertham Reservoir through the Nagarjuna Sagar Right Canal network in August to support drinking-water requirements.

The recent rainfall has since filled several of those tanks and improved groundwater levels. Officials continued monitoring inflows and regulating releases as water levels rose. The source attributed the earlier deficit in rainfall in some areas to El Niño-related weather patterns.

It also said a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal contributed to heavy rain in Visakhapatnam.