Don't Hide Behind El Nino, Start Pumping Water, Harish Tells Uttam
Government lifted water from Godavari starting at Yellampalli: Uttam Kumar Reddy
HYDERABAD: Senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao on Friday urged irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy to not take shelter under the El Nino excuse, and issue directions to irrigation officials to make full use of Godavari River water as envisaged by the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS).
In a letter to Uttam Kumar Reddy, Harish Rao said reservoirs with a capacity of 141 tmc ft which were built as part of KLIS were waiting to be filled. On the one hand there are drought-like conditions, and on the other despite heavy flood flows in the Godavari, “it is worrying that your government is neglecting to lift that water and fill the reservoirs. While crops are drying up due to lack of water, you are instead playing politics over the projects and causing the crops to dry up,” Harish Rao said.
He said if government lifted water from Godavari starting at Yellampalli, it could be brought to Mid-Manair as well as Annapurna, Ranganayakasagar, Mallannasagar, Kondapochammasagar, Gandhamalla and Baswapur reservoirs. This would not only provide a solution to Hyderabad's drinking water needs, but also help irrigate nearly 5 lakh acres.
If water was pumped to the Lower Manair Dam, located downstream of Mid-Manair, then irrigation and drinking water needs of Karimnagar and Warangal districts could be met. Farmers and people in Peddapalli, Karimnagar, Rajanna Sircilla, Siddipet, Medak, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Medchal-Malkajgiri, and Hyderabad districts will benefit greatly, Harish Rao said.
Harish Rao also said the oil palm factory at Narmetta in Siddipet district inaugurated by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was facing operational difficulties due to inadequate water from Ranganayaka Sagar reservoir for the operation of this palm oil factory.
