Close

Somasila Dam, Nellore

SOMASILA DAMThe Somasila Dam is a significant structure built across the Penna River, located near Somasila in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The reservoir created by the dam spans a surface area of 212.28 km² (52,456 acres) and has a live storage capacity of 1.994 km³ (1,616,562 acre⋅ft), or 75 tmcft.

The Somasila Reservoir receives water by gravity from the Srisailam Reservoir, which is situated in the Krishna Basin. As the largest storage facility in the Penna River basin, the Somasila Reservoir is capable of storing all the inflows from its catchment area during a normal year. Additionally, the reservoir can be supplemented by water from the nearby Kandaleru Reservoir, which has a gross storage capacity of approximately 72 tmcft. Plans under the Indian Rivers Interlink project include connecting the Somasila Reservoir with the Nagarjunasagar Reservoir to further augment its water supply.

One of the key canals fed by the Somasila Reservoir is the Kavali Canal, which supplies water to 52 tanks in the region. This canal serves the areas of Dagadarthi, Sangham, Jalandanki, and Kavali mandals, covering a total length of 67.619 km. In addition to irrigation, the Kavali Canal also provides drinking water to the Kavali municipality, which has a population of nearly 1.2 lakh people.