Somasila Dam

Somasila Dam is a significant structure built across the Penna River, located near Somasila in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh. 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. 

Moreover, the reservoir can be supplemented by water from the nearby Kandaleru Reservoir, which has a gross storage capacity of approximately 72 tmcft.

The Somasila Dam plays a crucial role in providing irrigation water for agricultural fields in the surrounding areas and also helps in flood control during the monsoon season by regulating the flow of the Penna River. 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.