CM KCR seeks contingency plans for delayed monsoon

Irrigation officials were directed to ensure timely release of water under major and medium projects by maintaining required storage levels

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday wanted all departments to be ready with contingency plans to overcome the challenges posed by the delayed onset of monsoon.

In view of the IMD forecast of below normal rainfall till the first week of July, he asked officials to gear up to cope with the vagaries of monsoon as they unfold in the coming weeks.

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Holding a high-level review at the Secretariat on preparations for Vanakalam as well as measures to meet the irrigation and drinking water needs for the season, the Chief Minister made it clear that the government must extend all possible help to farmers enabling them to save crops.

Similarly, drinking water needs should be met at all costs. Mission Bhagiratha supplies should be accorded priority, he said, calling operation manuals to be prepared in advance for scheduling operations of pump houses under the lift irrigation schemes.

Irrigation officials were directed to ensure timely release of water under major and medium projects by maintaining required storage levels. In view of the drastic fall in the water level in Ranganayaka Sagar, he wanted project officials to draw two TMC of water from Mid Maneru reservoir using the lifts.

The water level in Ranganayaka Sagar fell to bare minimum of 0.69 TMC as against the desired storage of three TMC. Irrigation officials informed the Chief Minister that about 4.95 TMC of water was available in the Nizam Sagar reservoir and it would support three wettings in the command area.

Crops under the project would require another 5 TMC for giving another three wettings. The Chief Minister suggested to officials to take stock of the water level in Sriram Sagar project in August and if needed, 30 to 35 TMC of water could be pumped into the project from the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.

It was also decided to augment the storage of Mallanna Sagar project by 10 TMC this year. Though the inflows into the reservoir usually die down with the end of monsoon, the reservoir could be filled with water drawn from Kaleshwaram, which would receive steady inflows even in October and November.

The meeting also decided to main adequate storage levels in Ellampalli, Sriramsagar, Mid Maneru, Lower Maneru, Annapurna, Ranganayak Sagar, Mallanna Sagar and Kondapochamma Sagar projects for the second crop.

Chief Minister also reviewed the progress of works on the drinking water component of the Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation scheme. He directed the officials to lift water into Narlapur, Yedula, Karivena and Uddandapur reservoirs for drinking water by the end of August in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court.

Similarly, he suggested that water for drinking water needs should be lifted from Mid Maneru to Gauravelli reservoir. The Chief Minister also directed officials to comply with procedures for according administrative approval for Wardha Barrage.

A proposal for taking up the project at a cost of Rs.4252.53 crore has been sent to the government. The detailed project report (DPR) of Wardha project is being examined by the Central Water Commission.