Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has instructed the Irrigation Department officers to evolve a comprehensive strategy for maintaining the canal system and facilitating the continuous water flow from the projects in Telangana to agricultural fields.
In a high-level review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan here on Friday to discuss a comprehensive strategy in view of water to be lifted from Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project from July this year, the Chief Minister directed the officers to be prepared in all aspects for maintaining the barrages, reservoirs, canals, distributaries, sluices etc.
A workshop needed to be organised with Irrigation Department engineers before finalising the strategy, he said.
“Telangana had been a drought prone area until recently. Water for irrigation used to be available only nominally through Sriramsagar project canals and other canals just once in three to four years. As a result, required maintenance of canal system for diverting water flow to agriculture fields had been neglected. But the situation has changed now. Irrespective of whether it rained or not, water will be available in abundance in river Godavari through Pranahitha. Lifting of water through Kaleshwaram project will commence from July,” he said.
Water would be pumped from Medigadda to Sundilla, to Mid-Maner through Annaram, to Yellampally and from there SRSP project, to Mallannasagar and up to Kondapochammasagar. In view of this, the Irrigation Department should be fully prepared to carry out this, he said.
Water would be filled with full capacity into Mid-Manair, Lower Manair, Yellampally, SRSP reservoirs. The gates and the sluices of these reservoirs should be kept ready in such a way that they could be opened as and when required.
The flood flow canal, Kakatiya canal, Lakshmi canal, Saraswathi canal, Gutpha canals, Alisagar canals etc should be kept ready for water flow. Required repairs to sluices, distributaries and regulators of these canals should be under taken within the next twenty days on war footing, he said.
Funds required would be released immediately and supervisory personnel be deployed to monitor the water flow and diversion work. The complete canal system from beginning to end would have to be streamlined in all aspects in tune with water flow.
The bunds on either side of the canals be strengthened, he said.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao cautioned the officers that there would be some teething troubles during the process of lifting water from Medigadda and releasing them into the reservoirs and then to the agriculture fields and they should be tackled from time to time.