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Reservoir reference
Brahmamsagar Reservoir in the Telugu Ganga system
Brahmamsagar, also recorded as SPVB or Veerabrahmam Reservoir, is one of the major balancing storages on the Telugu Ganga route. The main dam was completed in 1999 to 2000, first filling came in 2005 to 2006 and connected canal works continued later. Its history also includes Tamil Nadu funding for Telugu Ganga and remedial works after heavy seepage in 2022.
Reservoir reference
Reservoir at a glance
History
Key milestones
The dates below mark different stages of the project, from approval and construction to first storage, inauguration and later works.
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18 Apr 1983Project history
Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu agreement recorded
CWC records the agreement between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for drawal of 15 TMC from the Krishna for Madras drinking water supply.[9]
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25 May 1983Public record
Tamil Nadu first instalment recorded at project launch
A later Lok Sabha discussion records a ₹30 crore cheque as the first instalment of Tamil Nadu's share of the project cost.[12]
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1980sLand and R&R
Land acquisition and rehabilitation shape the reservoir area
Court records describe land acquisition and rehabilitation activity for the Pothuluri Veera Brahmendra Reservoir during the 1980s.[4]
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1985 to 1986
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15 Apr 1986Land and R&R
Rehabilitation scheme referenced for affected families
Court records refer to a state government rehabilitation order for project affected families.[4]
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1990 to 1991Public record
State budget records accelerated Telugu Ganga works
The budget allocated ₹50 crore to Telugu Ganga and said the pace of project components was being accelerated.[8]
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1992 to 1993Public record
State budget links Telugu Ganga outlay to Tamil Nadu funds
Andhra Pradesh provided ₹60 crore and said the outlay would be augmented depending on the flow of funds from Tamil Nadu.[10]
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1994 to 1995Public record
Budget records separate Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu shares
The ₹130 crore Telugu Ganga allocation was recorded as ₹60 crore from Andhra Pradesh and ₹70 crore contributed by Tamil Nadu.[11]
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1999 to 2000Construction
Main dam completed
A Parliamentary Standing Committee report records completion of the main dam during 1999 to 2000.[5]
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2000 to 2002
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2004 to 2005Construction
Package based Telugu Ganga works recorded for 2004 to 2005
CAG later referred to estimates for Telugu Ganga Packages II and III prepared in 2004 to 2005, marking a major package based implementation phase.[17]
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2005 to 2006Water and operation
First filling
The Parliamentary record states that the first filling took place during 2005 to 2006.[5]
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2006Construction
CWC completion year
The National Register of Specified Dams uses 2006 as the project completion year.[2]
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Dec 2022Later works
Heavy seepage documented at high reservoir level
The Standing Committee records heavy seepage when the reservoir was at a high level and describes filter treatment followed by a plastic diaphragm wall in the critical reach.[5]
Names used in official records
Brahmamsagar is the name widely used around Brahmamgari Matham. Government records also use Veerabrahmam Reservoir, S.P.V.B. Reservoir and Sree Pothuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy Reservoir. The 2025 CWC register uses the N.T.R. T.G.P. SPVB form. These names refer to the principal Telugu Ganga storage at Brahmamgari Matham. [1][2][5]
Brahmamsagar on the Telugu Ganga route
The Krishna River Management Board describes Telugu Ganga as an interstate project serving irrigation in drought prone areas and the Chennai drinking water commitment. It identifies Velugodu, S.P.V.B. Reservoir, Somasila and Kandaleru as four major balancing reservoirs on a route of roughly 408 kilometres. [3]
Main dam, first filling and completion
Court records document land acquisition and rehabilitation activity during the 1980s for the Pothuluri Veera Brahmendra Reservoir. A Parliamentary Standing Committee records the main dam as completed during 1999 to 2000 and first filling during 2005 to 2006. The national dam register records 2006 as the project completion year. These dates describe separate stages in the reservoir’s development. [2][4][5]
Works between 2000 and first filling
State budget speeches in 2000, 2001 and 2002 continued to list Telugu Ganga among projects targeted for early completion. The 2004 budget still described Telugu Ganga as unfinished and programmed it for completion within two years. CAG also records package based Telugu Ganga works in 2004 to 2005. [14][15][16][17]
The main dam had been completed, but canals and other connected works continued before the first filling in 2005 to 2006. The available budget record therefore shows an active completion programme during the years between structural completion and first filling. [5][17]
Tamil Nadu funding for Telugu Ganga
Tamil Nadu financed part of Telugu Ganga because the interstate project included a commitment to carry 15 TMC of Krishna water for Madras, now Chennai. A Central Water Commission reply based on the Telugu Ganga Technical Advisory Committee note gives an estimated project cost of ₹834.49 crore at 1985 to 1986 prices. It puts Tamil Nadu’s estimated share at ₹228.62 crore and records the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu agreement of 18 April 1983. [9]
A Lok Sabha discussion in December 1985 records a ₹30 crore cheque handed to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister at the project launch on 25 May 1983 as the first instalment of Tamil Nadu’s share. Andhra Pradesh’s 1992 to 1993 budget later said the Telugu Ganga outlay would be increased depending on the flow of funds from Tamil Nadu. The budget presented on 21 February 1994 for the 1994 to 1995 financial year recorded a ₹130 crore Telugu Ganga allocation, with ₹60 crore from Andhra Pradesh and ₹70 crore contributed by Tamil Nadu. [10][11][12]
A different ₹300 crore figure appears in a May 1990 Lok Sabha exchange. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy said about ₹300 crore had already been spent on Telugu Ganga. That figure refers to expenditure on the wider project. The CWC figure of ₹228.62 crore is the estimated Tamil Nadu share at 1985 to 1986 prices. [9][13]
Later records come closer to Brahmamsagar and its canals. CAG lists TGP Kadapa Packages 2 and 3 in the 2004 to 2005 Telugu Ganga package phase. It also lists two lining packages for the left and right canals of SPVBR. Their agreement values form part of the financial history of the reservoir’s canal system. [17]
A Lok Sabha annexure published in December 2025 reports ₹5.13 crore released in 2024 to 2025 under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme for Package III under the SPVBR Left Main Canal beyond Porumamilla tank in YSR Kadapa. The annexure records the work as completed. [19]
Public record
Public money and project progress
Financial records come from different stages and parts of the project. Each row keeps the accounting category and project scope used by its source. For an annual budget entry, the administration shown is the government that presented the cited budget. The financial year itself may continue under a later government.
| Period | Record | Amount | Administration or record context | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 1983 | Tamil Nadu contribution, first instalment | ₹30 crore[12] | Andhra Pradesh. N. T. Rama Rao government at project launch. | Parliamentary record of the first instalment of Tamil Nadu's share handed over at the project launch. It is not the total Tamil Nadu share. |
| 1985 to 1986 | Andhra Pradesh annual budget provision | ₹75 crore[6] | Andhra Pradesh. N. T. Rama Rao government. | Telugu Ganga Project as a whole, not Brahmamsagar alone. |
| 1985 to 1986 price level | Estimated Tamil Nadu share cost | ₹228.62 crore[9] | CWC project estimate at 1985 to 1986 prices. | CWC TAC based project estimate. The wider Telugu Ganga cost was ₹834.49 crore at the same price level. This is an estimated share cost, not a statement that the entire amount had already been paid. |
| 1986 to 1987 | Andhra Pradesh annual plan provision | ₹75 crore[7] | Andhra Pradesh. N. T. Rama Rao government. | Telugu Ganga Project wide provision. The Annual Plan also described the irrigation and Chennai drinking water objectives of the wider scheme. |
| 1990 to 1991 | Andhra Pradesh annual budget allocation | ₹50 crore[8] | Andhra Pradesh. Marri Chenna Reddy government at budget date. | Telugu Ganga Project wide allocation for accelerated works. It is not a reservoir specific expenditure figure. |
| 1992 to 1993 | Andhra Pradesh budget provision | ₹60 crore[10] | Andhra Pradesh. Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy government at budget date. | The budget said Telugu Ganga's outlay would be augmented during the year depending on the flow of funds from Tamil Nadu. |
| 21 Feb 1994 | 1994 to 1995 Telugu Ganga budget allocation | ₹130 crore[11] | Andhra Pradesh. Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy government when the budget was presented. | Allocation for financial year 1994 to 1995. The state budget split ₹130 crore into ₹60 crore from Andhra Pradesh and ₹70 crore from Tamil Nadu. The financial year later continued after the December 1994 change of government. |
| 2004 to 2005 package phase | CAG agreement value for TGP Kadapa Package 2 | ₹210.42 crore[17] | Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy government during the Jalayagnam package phase. | Agreement value for TGP Kadapa Category I Package 2 in the 2004 to 2005 Telugu Ganga package phase. CAG records it as a contract value for the wider distributary network. |
| 2004 to 2005 package phase | CAG agreement value for TGP Kadapa Package 3 | ₹222.30 crore[17] | Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy government during the Jalayagnam package phase. | Agreement value for TGP Kadapa Category I Package 3 in the 2004 to 2005 Telugu Ganga package phase. CAG records it as a contract value for the wider distributary network. |
| 2008 to 2010 | SPVBR canal lining, TGP Kadapa Lining Package II | ₹107.00 crore[17] | Andhra Pradesh. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy government for the approvals, followed by K. Rosaiah government at award. | Agreement value for one of two TGP Kadapa lining packages. CAG identifies the pair as left and right canal works pertaining to SPVBR, approved in 2008 and 2009 and awarded in April 2010. |
| 2008 to 2010 | SPVBR canal lining, TGP Kadapa Lining Package III | ₹122.34 crore[17] | Andhra Pradesh. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy government for the approvals, followed by K. Rosaiah government at award. | Agreement value for one of two TGP Kadapa lining packages. CAG identifies the pair as left and right canal works pertaining to SPVBR, approved in 2008 and 2009 and awarded in April 2010. |
| CAG audit tabled in 2013 | Telugu Ganga administrative sanction value | ₹4,432 crore[17] | CAG audit record covering earlier Telugu Ganga sanctions. | CAG lists this administrative sanction value for Telugu Ganga as a whole across 12 packages. It provides wider project context for the later package works. |
| 2024 to 2025 | SASCI loan release for SPVBR Left Main Canal Package III | ₹5.13 crore[19] | Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Department. The financial year spans a change of government. | Lok Sabha records this release for Package III under the SPVBR Left Main Canal beyond Porumamilla tank in YSR Kadapa and marks the work completed. |
About these figures: Administration names are used only when a cited record can be tied to one government. Records that span more than one government, or come from a later audit or project estimate, are labelled by their record context. Budget estimates, sanctions, agreement values and cumulative expenditure are separate accounting measures and are not totalled.
Seepage and remedial work in 2022
The 2025 to 2026 Parliamentary Standing Committee report records heavy seepage when the reservoir level was high in December 2022. It gives the level as about +213.070 metres and storage as 15.94 TMC during the event. Sand and metal filters were laid for safe discharge. A plastic diaphragm wall was later constructed in the critical reach following expert advice. [5]
The remedial work became part of the subsequent engineering management of the dam. [5]
Capacity and role
The CWC register gives a dam height of about 50.5 metres, length of about 6,109 metres, gross storage of about 502.2 million cubic metres and live storage of about 481.4 million cubic metres. Brahmamsagar is one of the larger storages on the Kadapa side of Telugu Ganga. [2]
Brahmamsagar today
Brahmamsagar provides a useful checkpoint on the Telugu Ganga route. Its level can be compared with Velugodu, Somasila and Kandaleru, together with official inflow and outflow data, to follow water movement through the balancing chain. [3]
Water network
Where this reservoir sits in the system
Evidence
Sources and what they establish
The numbered references used throughout the page are listed below. Government records and official water data are used wherever available. Contemporary reporting is included when it documents an event that is not covered by those records.
- Tier 1 · Official government record[1] Government of Andhra PradeshYSR Kadapa District — Brahmamgari Matham / Veerabrahmam ReservoirUsed for: official district naming and local location contextView source
- Tier 2 · Official water data[2] Central Water CommissionNational Register of Specified Dams 2025Used for: dam-register identity, 2006 completion metadata, dimensions and capacityView source
- Tier 2 · Statutory water authority[3] Krishna River Management BoardTelugu Ganga ProjectUsed for: Telugu Ganga system role and balancing-reservoir sequenceView source
- Tier 1 · Court record[4] Andhra Pradesh High Court recordsLand acquisition references for Pothuluri Veera Brahmendra ReservoirUsed for: 1980s land acquisition and displacement chronologyView source
- Tier 1 · Parliamentary record[5] Parliament of India — Standing Committee on Water ResourcesDam incidents and rehabilitation status 2025–26 — Sree Pothuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy ReservoirUsed for: main-dam completion 1999 to 2000, first filling 2005 to 2006, 2022 seepage incident and remedial worksView source
- Tier 1 · Official government record[6] Government of Andhra Pradesh, Finance DepartmentBudget speech 1985 to 1986Used for: ₹75 crore Telugu Ganga provision in 1985 to 1986View source
- Tier 1 · Official government record[7] Government of Andhra Pradesh, Finance DepartmentAnnual Plan review 1986 to 1987Used for: ₹75 crore Telugu Ganga provision and project irrigation and Chennai drinking water objectivesView source
- Tier 1 · Official government record[8] Government of Andhra Pradesh, Finance DepartmentBudget speech 1990 to 1991Used for: ₹50 crore Telugu Ganga allocation and accelerated project worksView source
- Tier 1 · Official government record[9] Central Water Commission, Government of IndiaTelugu Ganga Project TAC information supplied under RTIUsed for: 1985 to 1986 price level project estimate of ₹834.49 crore, Tamil Nadu share cost of ₹228.62 crore, and the 18 April 1983 Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu agreement for 15 TMC to MadrasView source
- Tier 1 · Official government record[10] Government of Andhra Pradesh, Finance DepartmentBudget speech 1992 to 1993Used for: ₹60 crore Telugu Ganga provision and the statement that the outlay would be augmented depending on funds from Tamil NaduView source
- Tier 1 · Official government record[11] Government of Andhra Pradesh, Finance DepartmentBudget speech 1994 to 1995Used for: ₹130 crore Telugu Ganga allocation split into ₹60 crore Andhra Pradesh share and ₹70 crore Tamil Nadu contributionView source
- Tier 1 · Parliamentary record[12] Parliament of India, Lok SabhaHalf hour discussion on Telugu Ganga Project, 19 December 1985Used for: parliamentary record that Tamil Nadu handed Andhra Pradesh a ₹30 crore cheque at the 25 May 1983 project launch as the first instalment of its project cost shareView source
- Tier 1 · Parliamentary record[13] Parliament of India, Lok SabhaOral answers on sharing of Krishna waters, 16 May 1990Used for: Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's statement that about ₹300 crore had already been spent on Telugu Ganga as a whole, used to distinguish that figure from Tamil Nadu's shareView source
- Tier 1 · Official government record[14] Government of Andhra Pradesh, Finance DepartmentBudget speech 2000 to 2001Used for: state policy statement giving major thrust to early completion of Telugu Ganga after the main dam completion periodView source
- Tier 1 · Official government record[15] Government of Andhra Pradesh, Finance DepartmentBudget speech 2001 to 2002Used for: state policy statement that government would strive to complete Telugu Ganga at the earliestView source
- Tier 1 · Official government record[16] Government of Andhra Pradesh, Finance DepartmentBudget speech 2002 to 2003Used for: state policy statement that government would strive to complete Telugu Ganga and associated balance works at the earliestView source
- Tier 3 · Audit record[17] Comptroller and Auditor General of IndiaPerformance Audit of Jalayagnam 2012 — Telugu Ganga packages and SPVBR canal worksUsed for: 2004 to 2005 Telugu Ganga Packages II and III estimate context; TGP-Kadapa agreement values of ₹210.42 crore and ₹222.30 crore; SPVBR left/right canal lining approvals and agreement values of ₹107.00 crore and ₹122.34 crore; and CAG project-level administrative sanction value of ₹4,432 croreView source
- Tier 1 · Parliamentary record[19] Parliament of India, Lok Sabha / Ministry of FinanceLok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1339, 8 December 2025 — Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment projects in Andhra PradeshUsed for: ₹5.13 crore Special Assistance loan released in 2024 to 2025 for Package III under SPVBR Left Main Canal beyond Porumamilla tank in YSR Kadapa, with the work reported completedView source
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