Three balancing reservoirs to mitigate drought in Chittoor district

VIJAYAWADA: The establishment of three balancing reservoirs proposed at Mudivedu, Nethiguntapalle and Avulapalli in Chittoor district as a part of Rayalaseema Drought Mitigation Projects is expected to increase the irrigation potential, and thereby the agriculture potential manifold in the region by bringing 70,000 acres under new ayacut and stabilising about 40,000 acres of existing ayacut. The cost benefit analysis by the water resources department shows that the three balancing reservoirs, the tender documents of which have been cleared by the judicial preview on Thursday,  will help in accruing annual benefit of Rs 826 crore.

While the estimated cost of the three balancing reservoirs, primarily aimed at strengthening minor irrigation resources and provide surface water from Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanti project, is about Rs 2,144 crore, the cost benefit analysis indicates that they will recover the investment in just over three years in terms of agriculture benefit. 

“The benefit to cost ratio as per our assessment, considering groundnut,  paddy, sugarcane during Kharif, and mango and hybrid sajja during Rabi is 3.17: 1. The minor irrigation tanks in the district, especially western parts, don’t get filled to their full capacity at least once in 10 years as the rains aren’t sufficient to fill them up. So, the only way is to get Krishna water either through diversion or lift to feed the minor irrigation facilities. While Nethiguntapalle (1 TMC capacity) will be diverted via lift scheme, Avulapalli (3.5 TMC) and Mudivedu (2 TMC) will be diverted via gravity,” a senior official explained.

According to the water resources department, the total geographic area of Chittoor district is 37.40 lakhs acres, out of which the gross cultivable area eligible for irrigation is 15.82 lakhs acres. The total storage capacity of irrigation systems — minor, medium and major — in the district is 57.665 TMC to irrigate an ayacut of 6.56 lakhs acres only out of the eligible 15.82 lakh acres. The balance eligible land available for irrigation for creation of new ayacut is thus 9.26 lakhs acres. For this, additional water requirement is 93 TMC annually, according to the department. “Now that the judicial preview has given its suggestions and recommendations, we will comply with them and begin the tender process shortly,” the official added.