NALGONDA: In view of the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir’s water level dropping below 540 feet, farmers are growing increasingly concerned about a potential decrease in crop yields, as water has not been released into the right and left canals. This year, for the first time in four years, the water level in the reservoir fell below 540 feet during the first week of September.
In 2022, heavy rains upstream from Nagarjuna Sagar led to a phased opening of the crest gates from August 11 to November 21, releasing approximately 1,200 tmcft of water downstream. Currently, the water level in Nagarjuna Sagar stands at 524.80 feet, well below the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 590 feet.
Water from this reservoir plays a crucial role in irrigating around six lakh acres of land in Nalgonda and Khammam in Telangana and Prakasam districts in Andhra Pradesh, as well as meeting a huge portion of drinking water needs of various areas, including Hyderabad. However, due to the reservoir’s water level remaining below 540 feet for the past two months, no water has been released for the Kharif crops through the right and left canals. Typically, water is released in the first or second week of August, but this water was not released for crops until August 31. This has resulted in crop withering in some areas and crop damage from viruses in others, according to farmers.
V Narsimhareddy Reddy, a farmer from Vemulapalli mandal, mentioned that for the past three years, authorities released water into the right and left canals on and off the system. Due to the continuous release of water without adequate planning during last year’s Kharif, not only was water wasted, but the reservoir is approaching dead storage levels this year.
He said that if there had been water in the canals and ponds, underground water levels would have risen, and bore wells would still have water. However, the lack of water has led to a decrease in underground water levels. Julakanti Ranga Reddy, a member of the CPM, expressed concern that the paddy crops are currently in the budding stage and if water is not provided now, farmers will face severe consequences.
He called on the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to exert pressure on the Krishna River Management Board to safeguard lakhs of acres of crops by releasing water for agricultural purposes through the canals of Nagarjuna Sagar for a period of 15 days. He recalled that in 2010 when he went on a hunger strike with the same demand, water was released to the canals for 15 days. He warned that if water is not provided for irrigation through canals before the end of September, agitation programs will be organised under the auspices of the CPM.