Telangana: Uncertainty grips ryots under NSP

Though almost all the projects in both Krishna and Godavari basins continued to receive heavy inflows, Nagarjuna Sagar Project remained an exception so far this year

Hyderabad: Uncertainty looms large over the fate of Kharif under the Nagarjuna Sagar Project. The reservoir level is fast dipping as the hope of normal crop season began to ebb out. Water available in the project will be sufficient only to meet the drinking water needs of Hyderabad city and Nalgonda district till September end.

Though almost all the projects in both Krishna and Godavari basins continued to receive heavy inflows, Nagarjuna Sagar Project remained an exception so far this year. No significant inflows were received in the new water year. The reservoir level had already come down to 515 ft, close to the minimum draw down level (MDDL) of 510 feet.

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The water above the MDDL level would be enough to support the drinking water needs. There is no scope to give water to the ayacut of the project in Telangana as of now. The Nagarjuna Sagar Left canal has over 6.57 lakh acres of ayacut in Zone I, Zone II and Zone III in the erstwhile Nalgonda and Khammam districts. Paddy seedbeds raised under the bore well are ready for transplantation.

The farmers were hopeful of water release at least by the second week of August. Water was released to the Left canal ayacut on July 29 in 2022, August 2 in 2021 and August 8 in 2020. The irrigation authorities are not in a position to respond to pleas of farmers for release of water. They could see no let up in the situation as the Srisailam Project, the only major source of inflows to Nagarjuna Sagar, is receiving inflows of only 35,600 cusecs. The present storage capacity of the project is 122.15 tmc as against the gross storage level of 215.81 tmc. All the upstream projects such as Tungabhadra Dam, Jurala, Narayanpur and Almatti have been receiving considerable inflows holding hope for the NSP.

But it would take more than a fortnight for the inflows to reach Nagarjunasagar, unless it rained heavily in the catchment. “Releasing water for irrigation under the Nagarjuna Sagar Project will not be advisable at this moment. The fears of El Nino effect on the climate are also a big source of worry. We are waiting for the skies to open up”, said a senior official of the irrigation department.

More details:

Water level in NSP dips to 515 ft, close to MDDL of 510 ft

Irrigation Schedule on hold as project gets zero inflows

NSP Left canal has over 6.67 lakh acre ayacut in Telangana

Farmers, irrigation officials on toes, waiting for skies to