Absence of Kaleshwaram: Farmers in desperate need for water under SRSP Stage II canal system

Farmers in the SRSP Stage II ayacut are battling a severe water crisis despite Nagarjuna Sagar being full. KLIS pump houses remain idle, crops are wilting, and protests are erupting across Suryapet district as rainfall shortages deepen the crisis.

Hyderabad: Farmers under the SRSP stage II ayacut are facing a water crisis. Despite the Nagarjuna Sagar dam holding water to its gross capacity of 312 TMC ft and its main canal flowing just 40 kilometres away from the parched lands, there is no water to save their wilting crops. The Musi river is also in flood while the rest of the State is receiving widespread rainfall. But none of these sources have come to their rescue.

For years, farmers in Penpahad, Thungathurthy and Nuthankal mandals relied on the Sriramsagar Project (SRSP) Stage II canal system, which was integrated with the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) making it a reliable source. This network which addressed drought conditions that prevailed before the commissioning of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme and ensured two crops a year, remains dry.

---

For the past three crop seasons, the scarcity conditions have cast a shadow on their hopes. The promises of water release through an “on and off” system remained unfulfilled. The KLIS pump houses are left non-operational, there is no adequate release of water to the SRSP stage -II ayacut. The Congress-led State government’s failure to resume pumping has left paddy crops wilting and farmers in despair.

Ground realities in Penpahad villages like Chinna Seetaram Thanda, Gajula Malkapuram, Chetla Mukundapuram, Pedda Seetaram Thanda, Gudepukunta, and Nurjavanpet Thanda are among the worst hit. Farmers are spending nights in their fields, manually managing scarce water.

Frequent power outages and tripping issues disrupt even minimal irrigation efforts.
The farmlands are opening up cracks and standing crops are withering.

“I planted paddy expecting water, but my well has dried up completely. The little water available runs out quickly, and without irrigation, my crops will fail, leaving me in debt,” said one farmer.

Suryapet district recorded 343.2 mm of rainfall from June 1 to August 3, 2025, against a normal of 378.0 mm, a fall by 9%. Earlier data up to July 22 showed a sharper fall by 27%, with only 147.9 mm received against a normal of 203.2 mm. This deficiency has worsened the crisis, depleting groundwater and drying up wells.

Protests galore
The Suryapet-Dantalapalli road has become the centrestage of protests, with farmers frequently blocking traffic to demand water release.

“For years, we had no irrigation worries during the BRS regime. Now, with no rain and no Kaleshwaram water, we’re helpless. The government’s neglect has become a curse,” lamented another farmer.

Farmers are demanding immediate release of water through SRSP canals and restoration of KLIS pump house operations. They also urge the government to resolve power supply issues that are compounding the crisis.

Without prompt intervention, the Kharif season in Penpahad and surrounding mandals may collapse, pushing thousands of families into crisis.

Total ayacut under SRSP Stage II – 9.68 lakh acres
SRSP ayacut in Suryapet District -2 lakh acres
Key mandals affected – Penpahad, Thungathurthy, Nuthankal
Rainfall deviation (June–Aug 2025): -9%
Rainfall deviation (up to July 22, 2025): -27%