Telangana’s Godavari basin projects see record inflows but miss irrigation targets

Telangana’s Godavari basin experienced an extraordinary hydrological year with record inflows from Maharashtra, yet poor canal infrastructure and delayed rainfall led to widespread kharif crop losses. Despite over 2,350 TMC of water entering the system, only a fraction was used for irrigation.

Hyderabad: The Godavari basin projects in Telangana have witnessed an unprecedented hydrological year, with the southwest monsoon extending well past its expected September 17 withdrawal.

Record inflows from upstream Marathwada projects in Maharashtra released over 796 TMC into Telangana’s irrigation system, yet much of this water simply surged downstream, lost to the Bay of Bengal as large sections of the command area grappled with water scarcity until mid-August.

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Early in the season, below-normal rainfall and paltry reservoir storage spelled trouble for kharif sowing in the command area of Godavari projects, which typically feed paddy crops extensively.

Only about 45 lakh acres were planted by August in the state despite the targeted 66 lakh acres, as farmers waited for canal releases that never came. Even as the Marathwada projects fed substantial inflows, flash floods and ravaging downpours in September inundated fields and destroyed standing crops, changing the situation from near drought to sudden excess.

“While rainfall exceeded 31 per cent above the normal, much of it arrived too late for kharif, triggering widespread damage instead of irrigation support,” a state agriculture official conceded. Despite nature’s bounty, the infrastructure failed to keep pace. Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), designed to deliver 145 TMC through its integrated reservoirs, found itself bypassed as surging floodwaters forced rapid releases downstream.

On August 27, Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) gates were opened, discharging 2, 50,000 cusecs. Two days later, inflows at Sripada Yellampalli peaked at 6,83,000 cusecs, with almost all water flowing out.

By September’s end, experts estimated that less than 40 TMC of water was productively used for irrigation across all Godavari projects, while an astounding 2,350 TMC simply drained into the sea or flooded lowlands.

Poor canal networks and incomplete ayacut development left thousands of acres underfed, depriving farmers of much-needed support under the SRSP stage II ayacut at critical sowing stages. With over 70,000 hectares submerged and sand-cast, cotton, paddy, and maize losses mounted across north Telangana.

“We faced a drought-like situation till August, then floods destroyed standing crops—not enough support from canals or reservoirs,” said an official from the Irrigation Department.

He admitted that despite ambitious kharif plans, less than half the potential command area received irrigation. Many major projects, including KLIS, irrigated less than 10 per cent of their intended area. Yet, the prolonged monsoon and record inflows have left a silver lining. Reservoirs across Telangana now brim with water, promising a well-supported rabi season if planners respond judiciously.

The challenge is to deliver water to rabi crops efficiently and avoid a repeat of kharif’s logistical failures,” the official stressed. Rabi’s success will depend not on monsoon, but on the ability of the Irrigation officials to balance reservoir management, canal scheduling, and contingency support for areas battered by kharif’s excesses. Water is finally available, but how best the distribution can be streamlined, is the key issue before the Irrigation department.