Telangana rains: More than half of minor irrigation tanks receive surplus inflows

Telangana has in all 34,618 irrigation tanks of which nearly 18,490 tanks received heavy inflows and another 5,758 irrigation tanks have been filled up to 75 per cent

Hyderabad: More than half of the minor irrigation tanks have received surplus inflows in the impact of heavy rains that battered the state last week. The rise in the water levels in the irrigation tanks is expected to help improve the tank irrigation that has been the mainstay in some of the districts.

The state has in all 34,618 irrigation tanks and the farmers were highly dependent on them for irrigation. Nearly 18,490 tanks received heavy inflows and they all started overflowing. Another 5,758 irrigation tanks have been filled up to 75 per cent to 100 per cent, while 3,192 tanks were filled by 50 per cent to 75 per cent.

---

Irrigation officials have said that some 3,487 tanks have been filled up to 25 per cent to 50 per cent. Water levels are still less than 25 per cent in as many as 3,681 tanks. Tanks have been the lifeline of the farmers in some of the districts. They were being used for storing of water for both drinking water and agriculture purposes.

Only 45 of the 1,665 minor irrigation tanks received full inflows in Wanaparthy district. Similarly, 89 of the 2,269 tanks received surplus inflows in Mahabubnagar district. The districts where the rainfall was less than the season’s normal by mid July, could make up for the shortfall by the end of July third week.

The state government is planning to draw water from the Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Scheme (drinking water component) to meet the scarcity conditions. Almost all the 33 districts have received excess rainfall by now. Good inflows into the irrigation tanks will add considerably to the ground water table too.