Potteru irrigation project which is now under construction in Malkangiri sub-division of Korapput District envisages utilisation of the firm regulated discharge of about 1800 cusecs (51 cumecs) of tail water discharge of the existing Balimela Hydro-Electric Project.
The tail race water of Balimela Power House is discharged into the river Potteru, a tributary of the river saberi at point 2.5 K.M upstream of village surlikonda. A barrage has been constructed at surlikonda to utilise the tail race discharge by means of two main canals one on the right side named as Tamasa main canal and second one on the left named as Gompakonda main canal.
Out of the two, Gompakonda main canal has been designed for a designed of 1395 cusecs (39.48 cumecs) at its head. The designed discharge of Tamasa main canal is 786 cusecs (22.25). The irrigation potentials of these canals are 38,921 and 22,113 hectares of c.c.a. respectively .
The barrage and two head regulators with maximum designed capacities have already been completed in all respects.
The Gompakonda main canal whose power potential is envisaged to be exploited under the present scheme is constructed upto 30 K.M. The canal works from RD 30 K.M. to 40 K.M. is in progress. There is natural fall of the terrain from RD 31K.M. to 38 K.M. of the canal. Four numbers of fall of 6.095m each are available at RD 31.540 K.m.,32.480 K.M, 36.995 K.M and 37.206 KM of this canal. The designed discharge of the gompakonda main canal at this fall sites is 28.332 cumecs (1000 cusecs).
It is proposed to combined the first and second falls and have a power house with an average head of 12.190 m . Similarly it is proposed to have another power house with 12.190 m head by combining the 3rd and 4th fall. It is proposed to maintain an assured discharge of 28.32 cumecs (1000 cusecs) throughout the canal operation period by suitably phasing the irrigation requirements in the Tamasa main canal, thus ensuing full power and irrigation demands in the Gompakonda main canal. Since there is no change in the upstrim development of Balimela basin no fresh study of water release of Balimela Project is considered necessary.
