The Sri Ram Sagar Project received up to 4 tmcf of water in the wake of the rains from June 1 in Maharashtra and Babli gates were lifted taking the total quantity available in the reservoir to 10.392 tmcft from 6.5 tmcft a few days ago.
At present water level is at 1056.50 ft as against its full reservoir level of 1091.0 ft. This day last year the water level was at 1054.50 with 8.918 tmcf. About 12,780 cusecs of water is coming into the reservoir as on Friday, according to project Executive Engineer Rama Rao.
Meanwhile, farmers under the project ayacut are happy with the early monsoon and increasing inflows into the reservoir. However, they were not sure about raising paddy nurseries or taking up plantation till the water is released. Generally, the SRSP gets water to full reservoir level towards the end of July or in the first week of August. In the meantime, farmers prepare fields and raise paddy seedlings under borewells and wherever water is available. However, this time they have a lot of hopes on the early release of water.
“The early monsoon and news of considerable quantity of inflows coming into the reservoir made us happy as we can start transplantation works a bit earlier compared to previous years. Government must take a separate decision to enable farmers to utilize water at least through lift irrigation schemes instead of waiting for the reservoir getting water up to FRL for the release,” said Shivakumar, a farmer in Nadapur village in Balkonda mandal. Let the authorities release water in the main canal Kakatiya, Saraswathi canals. If the lift irrigation schemes are run farmers can get an immense benefit, says S. Gangadhar, another farmer.
The SRSP, a lifeline of the north Telangana districts has 16 lakh acre ayacut in the old districts of Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and in small parts of Nalgonda and Khammam. Since the project got silted over a period of time it could never provide water to its entire command area for several years now.