The heavy leakage of water from Ramappa lake sluice at Palampet in Venkatapuram mandal for the last three days is worrying the ayacut farmers. Irrigation officials have been trying to plug the leakage but are not able to do it as the water is gushing out with high pressure.
The lake, built during Kakatiya era, provides irrigation to 12,000 acres unofficially. In the last four years, the lake did not receive water to the full. But this year, water reached to 33.5 feet against its maximum level of 36 feet.
The heavy rains on September 3 and 4 increased inflow into the lake and the leakage occurred on September 4.
There are three exit point in the sluice and officials identified that the low-level sluice, which lifts water even if it is at dead storage level, got damaged.
When approached, irrigation executive engineer Banothu Govind Naik said that they cannot repair the damage as the sluice shutter is under heavy pressure due to rise in the water level in the lake.
However, he hoped they can plug the leakage by Saturday. “Farmers need not worry as there is heavy inflow into the lake,” he said.