CityLightBuzz: Hyderabad, With uncertainty continuing over the monsoon and the possibility of an El Niño impact on rainfall patterns, Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Captain N. Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to prepare effective plans for the judicious use of available water resources across the state.
The minister conducted a high-level review meeting at Jalasoudha on Tuesday to assess the status of irrigation projects, reservoir storage, drinking water availability and irrigation requirements.
Drinking Water to Get First Priority.Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to give top priority to drinking water requirements while ensuring maximum support for Kharif crops with the available water.He stressed the need to use every drop of water scientifically and efficiently to protect drinking water supplies as well as farmers’ crops.The minister said decisions on water releases should be taken carefully based on the water currently available in reservoirs, particularly in view of the continuing uncertainty over the monsoon.
Krishna Basin Has 76.63% Storage
Officials informed the minister that the Krishna Basin currently has 76.63% water storage, while the Godavari Basin has 68.1% storage.
At the joint Nagarjuna Sagar Project, around 164 TMC of water is currently available. Officials said the reservoir still has the capacity to receive around 47% additional floodwater.
Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to carefully regulate water supply through the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal to meet irrigation requirements for around 6.4 lakh acres across Nalgonda, Suryapet and Khammam districts.
Economical Use of Godavari Water
The minister instructed officials to ensure economical utilisation of Godavari waters and review available water in projects including Devadula, Nizam Sagar, Swarna, Sadarmat and Musi to ensure water is supplied to crops wherever necessary.
He also directed officials to give priority to the safety of the Singur Project and undertake immediate repairs to damaged portions.
The minister further instructed officials to accelerate the excavation works of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel.
IIT Experts to Assess Polavaram Impact
The meeting also discussed the potential submergence impact of the Polavaram Project on Telangana territory.
Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to consult IIT experts and prepare evidence-based technical inputs to enable the state to present a strong case before the Central government regarding the potential impact.
He also instructed the engineering and legal departments to coordinate and prepare a comprehensive report on Krishna water disputes, tribunal proceedings and cases pending before the Supreme Court.
Senior Officials Attend Review Meeting
The meeting was attended by Irrigation Department Secretary E. Sridhar, Engineer-in-Chief (General) O.V. Ramesh Babu, Joint Secretary K. Srinivas, Tunnel Expert Colonel Parikshit Mehra, Engineer-in-Chief (Administration) T. Srinivas, Engineer-in-Chief R. Madhusudhan Rao and other senior officials.
