Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy
The minister said the southwest monsoon took nearly 15 days to cover all 33 districts of the state, and rainfall remained uneven across regions. As of Sept 17, Srisailam reservoir held 61.65 tmc of water compared with 153.56 tmc on the same date last year. Nagarjuna Sagar’s usable storage declined from 174.25 tmc to 44.89 tmc, while Singur fell from 16.69 tmc to 3.48 tmc and Lower Manair from 21.39 tmc to 8.95 tmc.
Participating in a short duration discussion on El Niño, Uttam said the govt was treating the situation with urgency and had already alerted the agriculture and irrigation departments to prepare for possible fallout. Farmers were informed about the possibility of deficient rainfall, irrigation availability and suitable crop choices,” he said. He maintained that the present crisis was a combination of adverse weather conditions and what he described as a decade of irrigation mismanagement, incomplete projects and faulty execution under the previous BRS govt. “We cannot prevent El Niño but the govt is prepared and is also further prepared to reduce its impact. The impact is evident in reservoir storage levels.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said the combined storage in reservoirs across the Krishna and Godavari basins had dropped sharply from 497 tmc on Sept 17 last year to 241 tmc this year against a total live storage capacity of 585 tmc. We are ensuring that water for irrigation is released only after fully accounting for drinking water requirements,” he added. During this critical period marked by El Niño, the govt is prioritising the retention of drinking water reserves as we move forward. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Hyderabad | Silver Rate in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad | Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Petrol Price in Hyderabad | Diesel Price in Hyderabad | CNG Price in Hyderabad | LPG Price in Hyderabad
“Repairs to the three barrages of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla are expected to begin around Oct-Nov and be completed before the next monsoon season. Hyderabad : With Telangana staring at a rain deficit and rapidly shrinking reservoir levels, the state govt will prioritise drinking water supplies while taking measures to protect crops and support farmers through the ongoing El Niño-induced stress, irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy told the assembly on Friday.