Over one third of Telangana’s Rabi ayacut at stake

Officials have expressed concerns that there would be no water supply for Rabi crops under the project, except for pockets where reservoirs linked with KLIS are left with little surplus after supporting Kharif ayacut for another 45 days.

Hyderabad: Over one-third of the State’s Rabi ayacut is likely to be at stake, with the State’s plans to resume operations of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) barrages thwarted by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA). With no robust contingency plans in place, the entire Rabi ayacut under the KLIS is at risk, potentially leading to a near crop holiday situation.

The KLIS, usually supports a Rabi ayacut of 18 lakh acres, which accounts for nearly 44 per cent of the season’s normal crop area of 40.50 lakh acres in the State. The project had plans to supplement the link reservoirs up to 15-16 TMC through its summer operations last year as against 30 TMC in 2022-23. However, structural issues reported in October last year hindered these efforts. State officials have expressed concerns that there would be no water supply for the Rabi crops under the project, except for pockets where reservoirs linked with KLIS are left with little surplus after supporting Kharif ayacut for another 45 days.

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Major sources like the Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP), which is filled to the brim this year, could be spared to meet drinking water needs but cannot fully support Rabi crops. The State government has been pressing the NDSA for permission to use the Annaram and Sundilla barrages, but the NDSA has maintained a status quo stance, awaiting the final report scheduled for December.

Literally, there would be no water supply for the rabi crops under the project barring a few pockets Major projects such as the Sri Ram Sagar, which were filled fortunately to the brim this year could help meet the drinking water needs. But they cannot come to the rescue of Rabi crops in a full-fledged manner. With adequate irrigation support, the area under Yasangi (Rabi), touched 56.58 lakh acres in 2022-23. The Yasangi crops were raised in over 54.93 lakh acres in 2023-024. The farmers raised Yasangi under the KLIS also expecting water supply as usual last year. But the standing crops in over 12 lakh acres of area withered away for want of irrigation support as the operation of the KLIS was suspended as desired by the NDSA.

Some 16 TMC of water the barrages were holding around the same time last year was drained subsequently instead of pumping it back to the linked reservoirs to meet the irrigation needs in summer. Even a year after suspension of the operations of the KLIS barrages the NDSA is holding the same stand.

The Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP) currently holds about 80.5 tmc as against 87 tmc of water around the same time last year. By the first week of December, the project level should be over 65 tmc to support Rabi ayacut to the full extent. But the Kharif crop requirement would take another 15 to 16 tmc and meeting the drinking water need would require another 15 tmcs. The water storage left in SRSP by the end of November next may help support rabi ayacut above Lower Manair Dam (LMD), said the officials.

Yellampalli reservoir is currently holding some 20 tmc of water. At least 14 tmc of it should be spared for the drinking water needs to be met in Hyderabad and the en route towns and villages. Declining to make any fresh recommendations in favour of impounding water in Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the KLIS the NDSA experts wanted the state top wait till its final report was submitted as scheduled in December next for any decision. “We cannot say anything about the KLIS structure, We cannot make any recommendations either. It is up to you to take any decision taking your needs into consideration” said state officers quoting the NDSA experts. Permanent measures should be taken to use the barrages once again after a long gap, they stressed. The NDSA’s reluctance to allow the use of the Annaram and Sundilla barrages has left the State government in a difficult position, with no immediate solution in sight.