SIDDIPET: Officials are arranging for the diversion of water from Godavari river to the Gandicheruvu near the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple and the Baswapur reservoir in the Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district.The government has decided to complete the process of diverting water to Yadadri before the Maha Yagam begins at the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple from March 22.
Officials have decided to complete the canal works expeditiously and divert water by gravity from Mallannasagar Reservoir in Siddipet district to Yadadri within the first week of March as per the directions of the Chief Minister. They added that the unfinished works are being completed.
It may be noted that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who visited the Yadadri temple on Friday (February 4), directed that all the remaining unfinished works be completed by the end of the month. After February 15, Godavari waters will be diverted to the Mallannasagar reservoir and from there to Baswapur reservoir in Turkapally mandal of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri.
Officials said the water was being diverted from the main canal leading to the Baswapur project in Turkapally to the Gandicheruvu near the Yadadri temple. The Kalyana Katta (Gundam) constructed at the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple will be filled with Godavari water from the Gandicheruvu.
Officials said devotees coming to the temple will have the opportunity to take a dip in the same gundam, so the water will have to be changed and refilled with fresh water. Meanwhile, officials said there was a possibility of diverting another 5 tmcft of water to the Kondapochamma reservoir while diverting the water to Mallannasagar project. Executive Engineer Mohammad Khurshid, who is overseeing the Baswapur project, said the capacity of the reservoir is 11.35 tmcft, but at present only 1.5 tmcft is present. He said a total of 1.88 acres of land is likely to be irrigated with the help of water from the reservoir.
However, he mentioned, that the Thimmappur village, which will submerge when the water is released, isn’t yet vacated as the construction of the rehabilitation colony is under progress.He explained that the residents would vacate the village once the colony was ready. He said even if 1.5 tmcft of water was diverted into the project at present, there would be no damage to Thimmappur village.