Start immediate pumping of Kaleshwaram water to fill reservoirs: Harish Rao

BRS leader T Harish Rao urged the Telangana government to operate Kaleshwaram pumps at Kannepalli and fill interconnected reservoirs to support farmers during Kharif. He sought pumping from Mid Manair to the Lower Manair Dam and utilisation of Godavari floodwater.

Hyderabad: BRSLP deputy leader T Harish Rao demanded that the Congress government immediately switch on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme’s pumps at Kannepalli and start pumping water to fill reservoirs, to safeguard farmers’ interests during the ongoing Vaanakalam (Kharif) season.

In a letter to Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday, Harish Rao said farmers were under stress due to inadequate rainfall attributed to El Nino, coupled with the delay in filling reservoirs. He said this was affecting the progress of crop cultivation. He appealed to the government to set aside politics and utilise the available water for irrigation without further delay.

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The former Minister said the Mid Manair reservoir, a key component of the Kaleshwaram project, had a full reservoir level capacity of 27 TMCft and currently held around 22 TMCft. With inflows expected from rainfall in the upper reaches, he urged the government to utilise the available water and begin pumping from Mid Manair.

He sought filling of the Annapurna (Ananthagiri), Ranganayaka Sagar, Mallanna Sagar, Kondapochamma Sagar and Nrusimha (Baswapur) reservoirs, besides the tanks and check dams linked to them. He stated that the move will help provide irrigation to nearly four lakh acres under the project.

Harish Rao also urged the government to pump water from Mid Manair to the Lower Manair Dam (LMD), which has a capacity of 24 TMCft but currently holds about 6.9 TMCft. He remarked that filling the LMD will help meet the irrigation requirements under SRSP Stage-II.

He recalled that nearly four lakh acres under the upper reservoirs of the Kaleshwaram project were cultivated during the last Yasangi (Rabi) season and urged the government to ensure irrigation for the current kharif as well as the coming Yasangi season.

Harish Rao said every available drop of floodwater from the Godavari should be utilised and the Kaleshwaram pumps operated promptly. He stated that filling the interconnected reservoirs, canals, tanks and check dams will help ease the concerns of farmers.

He appealed to the government to take immediate action in the interest of farmers rather than allowing delays in water pumping to affect cultivation.