pond is under advanced stage of construction to put to use the pumped storage features of 7 x 100.8 MW units. And it will be useful for the irrigation. Many times, it happens that power generation from the 150 MW canal based units is not optimised when the Nagarjunasagar reservoir is overflowing on its spillway and very less water is required for irrigation from the canals during the monsoon floods. Power generation from canal based hydro units can be optimised by running these units during the flooding period by releasing the water fully into the canals. The unwanted canal water can be released into the natural stream when it is crossing the major stream. Thus run off power can be generated from the water going down unutilised into the river by the canal based power units also. The water level in the Nagarjunasagar reservoir shall be maintained above the minimum level required for these units in most of the time by releasing water from the upstream Srisailam reservoir to optimise the power generation from the canal based units during dry season. Tourism Nagarjunasagar Dam is one of the popular weekend getaways from Hyderabad. Thousands of tourists visit Nagarjunasagar when the dam gates are open in monsoon season (around September / October). Hotel Vijay Vihar, operated by Telangana Tourism is one of the best places for accommodation in Nagarjunasagar. There are several other places around Nagarjunasagar that can be visited as a one-day trip from Hyderabad. Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh – Has to be reached by a boat from boating point operated by TSTDC or APTDC Anupu in Andhra Pradesh Ethipothala Falls near Macherla in Andhra Pradesh – The water released from the Nagarjuna Sagar right bank canal, the Chandravanka and Suryavanka streams keeps the water fall live or flowing during the rainy season. Environmental aspects The artificial lift irrigation based diversion of the river from its natural delta area into Nalgonda district caused erosion of the fluorine-rich volcanic rocks in Nalgonda and contaminated its groundwater supply. It also caused uncertain flows of water into the Krishna river delta area and a shrinkage of the natural wonder "The Kolleru Lake". The use of erosion resistant canals interfered with the natural silting process of a river to the deltas and created long-term ecological issues to the health of the delta lands. Reduced flows into the sea resulted in land salination and sea