Amidst abundant monsoon rains, Telangana’s irrigation challenges persist

The kharif crop area was impacted due to water management issues, and these challenges are expected to persist through the Rabi season.

Hyderabad: Despite receiving 34 per cent above-average rainfall during the Southwest Monsoon, Telangana continues to face significant irrigation challenges.

The Kharif crop area was impacted due to water management issues, and these challenges are expected to persist through the Rabi season.

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Designed to irrigate approximately 18.26 lakh acres across several districts, the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme is partially operational due to lack of approval from the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and the State government. Operations from the Medigadda barrage have not resumed, limiting the project’s full potential.

The Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme which aims to provide irrigation to Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts utilizes water from the Godavari River to irrigate about 2 lakh acres, but it is yet to become operational fully.

As for the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme, it targets irrigation of 3 lakh acres in the drought-prone areas in Mahabubnagar district. It started lifting water from the backwaters of Srisailam reservoir.

While the abundant monsoon rains have filled reservoirs in both the Godavari and Krishna basins, operational challenges persist.

Close to 3000 TMC of water has flowed down the State’s projects so far in the two basins, but the State is still in the process of streamlining the supply system and irrigation schedules.

The delay in approvals and incomplete project implementations hinder the full utilization of available water resources. These projects are crucial for enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring water security for farmers in Telangana.

The Jurala, Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects in the Krishna basin are full to their gross capacity after a long gap, promising adequate supplies for at least the next two seasons, provided the resources are effectively managed.