Nizam Sagar records second-highest inflow in 50 years

The Nizam Sagar irrigation project, built in 1931, has received its second-highest inflow in five decades due to intense monsoon rains in the Manjeera basin. With 291 TMCft recorded so far, the reservoir continues to receive water, largely from the upstream Singur project, which also broke its own inflow record this year.

Sangareddy: The Nizam Sagar project, built by the seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, 94 years ago, has received its second-highest inflows in 50 years following heavy rainfall in the Manjeera river and its tributaries this monsoon.

Situated on the border of Sangareddy and Kamareddy districts, the project recorded cumulative inflows of 291 TMCft this year against its full storage capacity of 17.802 TMCft. To manage the excess water, irrigation officials lifted multiple crest gates between August and October, releasing the surplus downstream. Construction of the historic project began in 1923 and was completed in 1931 after eight years of construction.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Assistant Executive Engineer (Irrigation) P Akshay Kumar said they have been maintaining inflow records for the past 50 years since 1975.

“The project received more than 300 TMCft only once, during 1983-84, when it saw a record 329 TMCft inflow. The second-highest was in 1988-89 with 287 TMCft. This year’s inflow of 291 TMCft is the second-highest in five decades,” he said.

The project currently continues to receive over 4,000 cusecs of water, and officials expect the inflows to cross 300 TMCft soon. Nizam Sagar witnessed its highest single-day inflow this season on August 28, when 2.2 lakh cusecs entered the reservoir, prompting officials to lift 27 of its 48 crest gates.

Of the total 291 TMCft received so far, 217 TMCft came from the Singur project, while the remaining 74 TMCft flowed in from tributaries and the downstream Manjeera catchment area.

Upstream, the Singur project, constructed across the Manjeera river near Pulkal mandal of Sangareddy district in 1998, also received its highest-ever inflow this year. It recorded 217 TMCft until Tuesday, breaking its previous record of 176.50 TMCft set in 1998-99.