Mallannasagar water released to save crops in Telangana
MEDAK: A day after the state government released water from the Gayatri pump house of Kaleshwaram project to save the standing crops, officials from the Mallannasagar project under Dubbak-Gajwel constituencies released water from the Godavari water into the Kudavelli stream on Tuesday. They plan to fill 30 check dams along this 52-km-long stretch with the Godavari waters.
Farmers expressed happiness over the government’s decision to release water amidst the scorching sun. Project officials stated that 800 cusecs will directly flow into the river from Mallannasagar.
The officials said that the Godavari waters flow from Kondapaka in Gajwel constituency to Upper Manair through various villages in Thogita, Dubbak and Mirdoddi mandals of Dubbaka constituency. These waters support farmers’ cultivating about 20,000 acres of crops along the Kudavelli stream.
Venkateshwarlu, deputy engineer of the Mallannasagar project, said that this water will save paddy crops, which are to be harvested and also increase underground water levels. With the scorching sun and lack of irrigation water, farmers’ expressed concerns about the depletion of groundwater affecting paddy cultivation.
Recently, the in-charge of Dubbak Congress CH Srinivas Reddy along with ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar, responded positively to the pressing issue and permitted the release of water. Meanwhile, officials requested the government to allocate around 25 tmcft of water for the Mallannasagar project. However, the government has only allocated 5 tmcft water.
An official who wished to remain unnamed said: “Electricity shortage is one of the main reasons behind the government not being able to fulfill the 25 tmcft request during June and July in 2023, which could have provided ample water to various regions.”
The officials said that had 3 tmcft been allocated to Ranganayaksagar, 25 tmcft to Mallannasagar and 8 tmcft to Kondapochamma, along with lifting 35 tmcft of water during June and July, the situation would have been less serious.
Besides the three projects in Siddipet district, farmers have cultivated paddy in 3,12,000 acres using borewells in the Rabi season. Agriculture department officials estimate damage to 10% to 20% of the crops.
Regarding the 40,000 acres of paddy being cultivated under the Ghanpur dam in Medak district, officials reported no issues. However, due to borewells drying, approximately 2,000 acres of paddy crops have been damaged across the district. Officials assert that had farmers sown only a small portion of their land after rains ceased in October, the current issues could have been mitigated. Agriculture department officials anticipate complete harvesting of crops within 10 to 15 days.