Telangana: Pocharam project water hits dead storage level

The project water level has come down to 0.0640 TMC on Saturday from the full reservoir level of 1.82 TMC.

Kamareddy: The Pocharam project in Nagireddypet mandal of Kamareddy district has reached dead storage level due to insufficient rains. The project water level has come down to 0.0640 TMC on Saturday from the full reservoir level of 1.82 TMC.

According to irrigation officials, if there was no rain in the upper zones for another week or 10 days, the reservoir would be completely dry. Even though it has been over a month and a half since the beginning of the monsoon season, the district has not received heavy rains so far. There is deficit rainfall in many mandals.

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According to irrigation officials, only when there was heavy rain in Gandhari and Lingampeta mandals, the flood water reaches the Pocharam project through the rivulets. There were light showers but no heavy rains in the district, due to this there is no flow of water in the catchment areas, creating shortage of water in the project.

There is an alarming situation in several mandals depending on the water of the project to take up paddy cultivation. In many villages of Nagireddypet, Yellareddy and Lingampeta mandals, paddy sowing has not been completed yet. A large number of farmers have therefore taken up paddy sowing through boreholes.

While 10,500 acres of Nagireddypet and Ellareddy mandals were officially receiving irrigation water through the Pocharam project, the farmers would need additional water to irrigate another 5,000 acres, the officials said.

Every year crops receive water through the Pocharam project twice – Kharif and Rabi seasons. However, this time so far, not much water has come from the project, officials said. Even the groundwater level in many mandals near the ayacut depends on the project’s water, the officials informed.

According to the data released by the district administration, deficit rainfall was recorded in 14 mandals, normal in 9 mandals and above normal in one mandal in the district till Saturday. Only Nasrullabad mandal received more than average rain so far in the district.

The Pocharam Project serves the water needs of Nagireddypet and Yellareddy mandals in Kamareddy district and Medak mandal in Medak district. Pocharam has been serving irrigation and drinking water needs of Nizamabad and Medak district people for the last 95 years.

The project was constructed with 2.423 tmc capacity, but due to silt, the project water storage capacity over the years has decreased to 1.82 tmc.