Watch: Singur dam’s crest gate lifted as project storage capped for first time in 26 years

In response to a safety warning from the Dam Safety Review Panel, Telangana’s Irrigation Department has capped water storage at the Singur multipurpose project to 22 TMCft, down from its full capacity of 29.91 TMCft. One crest gate was opened to release 7,694 cusecs, while TG Genco began operating its power plant, adding to the outflow.

Sangareddy: Irrigation officials have lifted one crest gate of the Singur multipurpose project, which was built across the river Manjeera at Singur village in Pulkal mandal. The officials lifted the 11th crest gate of the project to release 7,694 cusecs of water downstream the river course.

Meanwhile, TG Genco also started operating the power plant and started releasing 1,265 cusecs, taking the total outflow to 8,959 cusecs. The project is receiving 4,336 cusecs from upstream owing to continuous rains in the catchment area.

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In the wake of the Dam Safety Review Panel’s (DSRP) warning to the Irrigation Department on the dam’s safety, the department has decided to restrict the storage in the reservoir to 22 TMCft against its full storage capacity of 29.91 TMCft.The project held 22.250 TMCft of water at 3 pm.

Singur DEE Nagaraju has called on the people living along the river course in Sangareddy and Medak districts to stay alert. Since the project was constructed in 1999, this is the first time the Irrigation Department has restricted the storage in Singur.

It is expected to hit farmers in the area, as there would be a shortage of water availability for the ayacut. Even if the river gets inflows during the season, there would be no way to store the same. The project had 40,000 acres of ayacut in Sangareddy district and it will also be a source of drinking water supply for Hyderabad, Sangareddy and Medak districts.

The DSRP observed that impounding the project to full capacity would pose a danger to the safety of the dam as the revetment of the project’s earth dam was damaged due to lack of regular maintenance.