Siltation Reduces Kadam Project Storage Capacity by Half

 Adilabad: Heavy siltation in the Kadam irrigation project has reduced its water storage capacity by nearly 50 per cent, raising public concern over drinking water and irrigation security in Nirmal district amid the impact of El Nino and erratic rainfall.

Nirmal district collector Bhavesh Mishra said the reservoir's effective storage capacity has declined to about 3.259tmc from its original 7.5tmc due to the accumulation of silt over the years.

The collector said officials were preparing a long-term plan to address the problem through phased desiltation and other technical measures to improve the reservoir's water-holding capacity. They were also preparing an action plan to regulate water releases on alternate days if the reservoir level falls to 674 feet.

The full reservoir level of the project is 700 feet, while the current water level is around 675 feet.

Describing Kadam as one of the most heavily silted reservoirs in the state, Mishra said water management had become increasingly challenging and warned that the storage capacity would decline further if desiltation was not taken up.

The collector and irrigation officials recently explained the extent of siltation and its impact on the project to irrigation minister Uttam Kumar during his visit to Kadam, using a PowerPoint presentation.

Officials said prolonged dry conditions and scanty rainfall earlier this season had caused concern among farmers before heavy rains over the past 10 days brought substantial inflows into the reservoir, easing the immediate water situation.

However, they pointed out that despite the increased inflows, the reservoir is unable to store water up to its original capacity because of extensive siltation.

Irrigation officials said the available water would be managed scientifically, keeping future drinking water and irrigation requirements in view.

Notably, during a visit to Banswada in June, the irrigation minister had announced that the government would take up desiltation works in the Kadam project, Lower Manair and Mid Manair dams, Nizamsagar and the Sriram Sagar Project to enhance the storage capacity of these reservoirs.