Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has instructed the authorities to lift water available in the Godavari and Krishna rivers with the help of Kaleshwaram and other lift systems on a war-footing to keep the drought conditions staring at the country, including Telangana, at bay in the wake of monsoon playing truant.
At a review meeting held here on Sunday with the officials of Agriculture, Energy, Irrigation and other departments to lift water from rivers and keep sufficient water in reservoirs to ensure the lands linked to the irrigation systems get water for the first crop. He enquired with the authorities about the rainfall conditions as also availability water in the Pranahitha river that supplements water to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project and the energy demand.
The Chief Minister asked the authorities to ensure that there was no scarcity to drinking water and irrigation needs in the State in spite of the scanty rainfall and lack of inflows into major reservoirs from the upstream. He told the engineers of KLIP to lift Pranahitha water at Medigadda and lift it back into Annaram, Sundilla, Yellampally and Mid Manair, Lower Manair, Sriramsagar and other projects for giving water to the ayacut.
Further, the Chief Minister instructed the officials to divert 50% water each lifted through Kaleshwaram to Mid Manair and Sriramsagar (through rejuvenation project based on reverse flow of water in the Flood Flow Canal. “The value of KLIP would be known by all only in difficult conditions such as the ones prevailing now and it will be a testing time for Irrigation, Energy and Agriculture department officials,” Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said.
He told the Agriculture department authorities to be prepared with contingency plans to supply seed and fertilizer to farmers who had already sown seed of cotton and other crops but failed to germinate due to lack of sufficient soil moisture. Such farmers would be ready to sow seed again, if provided in time, he felt.
He also wanted the Agriculture department officials to send report on the status of vanakalam (kharif) operations every day to his office. He told the Irrigation and Energy authorities to send daily reports on drinking water, irrigation and energy demand and supply. The Chief Minister told the Irrigation authorities to finalise guidelines for the operation of pumping system of all projects to TS-Genco instead of private contractors.
Several ministers, senior officials and engineers of the departments concerned participated in the meeting.
