Water Storage and Supply Disrupted in Key Telangana Irrigation Projects

Adilabad/Nalgonda: Even as most irrigation projects received are good inflows, storing water in the projects or supplying it downstream has been affected for various reasons. The Kaleshwaram scheme woes are well known, with the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages being unable to store any water due to the damage they have sustained.

The low-level canal of the A. Madhav Reddy Project was breached at Marepally of Anymula mandal in Nalgonda district. Officials stopped water release at 10 am.

Water had been released to the canal from the Nagarjunasagar Project for filling of irrigation tanks. About 550 cusecs of water was released to the canal for five days. Irrigation department have taken up repairs.

In Adilabad district, there was no scope for storing water in Komaram Bheem, Korata Chanka and Sadarmat projects. Water is continuously discharged from these projects downstream.

The Komaram Bheem and Korata-Chanaka were hit by land acquisition and funds crunch. There are no main canals for the projects while work at Sadarmat has not been completed. Lcoal farmers said these projects are incomplete in many respects.

The Komaram Bheem project can hold is 10.6 tmc ft, but is always kept half-full to avoid damage since the bund of the spillway has many cracks. The project, inaugurated in 2011, was aimed to irrigate 45,000 acres.

The Korata-Chanaka on the river Penganga and Komaram Bheem project pose the threat of floods and inundate villages in low-lying areas.

The Korata-Chanaka barrage was aimed to provide water to 50,000 acres in Jainad, Bela and Bheempur mandals. The Sadarmat project located in Khanapur Assembly constituency is yet to be completed.

Meanwhile, at Nagarjunasagar, water release to the left canal was increased to 8,022 cusecs from 7,610 cusecs to fill up irrigation tanks downstream in Nalgonda, Suryapet and Khammam districts.

At Nagarjunasagar, 22 crest gates were lifted to 10 feet to release 2 lakh cusecs of water. On Monday, 16 gates had been lifted. About 28,420 cusecs of water was being discharged through main power house. Another 8,067 cusecs was being released to the right canal meant for Andhra Pradesh.

Water stood at 585.2 feet at Nagarjunasagar, five feet short of the full tank level of 590 feet. The project holds 298 tmc ft against its capacity of 312 tmc ft.

A number of tourists reached Nagarjunasagar to catch the sight of water being released, and were seen taking selfies. CRPF personnel who are guarding the project did not allow them on to the dam.

Further upstream. 10 gates of Srisailam reservoir were lifted to discharged 4.02 lakh cusecs of water towards Nagarjunasagar. Water stood at 883 feet and it held 204.35 tmc ft as against its capacity of 215.81 tmc ft.