Hyderabad: Mission Kakatiya has started delivering the desired results in the very first year of its launch. Removal of silt from tank beds and repair of feeder channels has improved the water levels in small tanks even from the minor rains of the last two weeks. The restoration of chain link between tanks is expected to further boost minor irrigation in TS, which was not possible in the first phase due to rampant encroachments around lakes, especially in cities, towns and semi-urban areas.
The Turkayanjal tank on the city’s outskirts was filled with silt and the tank was almost dry till recently. The tank was taken up under the Mission Kakatiya programme and half of the works have been completed so far. The tank received major inflows from the few spells of rain last Thursday. By Friday, the tank was brimming with water, forcing officials to stop the work midway.
The feeder channels have been restored which have ensured smooth inflows into the tank from high-lying areas. The HMT Tank in Nacharam also received good inflows after it was cleaned. The Masab Tank feeder, which was also choked, was re-sectioned and restored. With this, water started flowing into the tank. The tank in Injapur of Ranga Reddy was also restored.
“Restoration of tanks in cities is posing a big problem due to rampant encroachments blocking feeder channels. A special Lake Protection Act is being planned to check such encroachments in future by incorporating stringent norms against violators,” said Sridhar Deshpande, irrigation engineer and OSD in the ministry of irrigation.
He added that the cooperation of Revenue and Police departments had been sought to clear the encroachments on city lakes and legal options are also being taken against encroachers.
