HYDERABAD/KARIMNAGAR/NALGONDA: Ahead of BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s visit to dried crop fields on April 5, the state government on Monday released water from the Gayatri pump house of Kaleshwaram project to save the standing crops in erstwhile Karimnagar district. The state government reportedly directed irrigation officials to divert available water from Yellampalli project through Gayatri pump house to the flood flow canal (FFC). The officials released 0.2 tmcft of water to give one wetting to the standing crops.
Irrigation Executive Engineer
N Sridhar told TNIE that after receiving directions from higher officials, they released the water from Yellampalli project to the Gayatri pump house through the Nandi Medaram pump house. After diverting the required quantity of water for 12 hours, the officials stopped in the evening, he added.
At 6 am on Monday, the water available at Yellampalli was 7.85 tmcft against its full storage capacity of 20.18 tmcft. Though the water was released to the FFC, there was no ayacut under the canal. The water from FFC would be diverted to branch canals to benefit farmers in Gangadhara, Ramadugu, Boinpally and Mallial mandals.
Meanwhile, the officials released 2,500 cusecs of water from the left canal of Nagarjuna Sagar project for drinking water needs in the erstwhile Nalgonda district. The officials said that the water that was available over minimum drawdown level at Nagarjuna Sagar was six tmcft. Though, Leader of Opposition K Chandrasekhar Rao had demanded that the government release the water to farmers, the officials said they stored it for drinking water needs in summer. They added that there wasn’t sufficient water at other projects in the state.