Uttam directs strict monitoring of reservoirs, flood damage
- Ensure filling of all minor irrigation tanks to maintain year-round water adequacy: Uttam
Uttam | Hyderabad, August 20 (Maxim News): Irrigation, Food & Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy here instructed irrigation officials to maintain strict vigilance over rising inflows into reservoirs, take preventive measures for flood damage, and ensure appropriate supply of water to farmers during the current crop season.
Chairing a video conference with all Engineers-in-Chief, Chief Engineers, Superintending Engineers, and Executive Engineers from their respective field locations, the Minister emphasised that balancing flood management and irrigation needs was the foremost priority of the Telangana government.
Reviewing the status of major reservoirs, the Minister pointed out that water inflows into the Krishna basin had reached significant levels. At Jurala, inflows stood at 2.18 lakh cusecs, while Nagarjuna Sagar recorded an outflow of 3.95 lakh cusecs.
The Srisailam project, with a gross capacity of 215.81 TMC, was holding 198.81 TMC, compared to 192.97 TMC last year on the same date. Similarly, Nagarjuna Sagar, with a capacity of 312.05 TMC, had 297.15 TMC in storage.
In the Godavari basin, heavy inflows were reported across key projects. Sri Ram Sagar Project was holding 73.37 TMC against its 90.30 TMC capacity, while Singur project stood at 19.48 TMC, significantly higher than last year’s 14.91 TMC.
District-level tank filling also reflected the abundance of inflows. Out of 34,740 tanks across Telangana, as many as 12,023 were surplus, while over 9,100 tanks were filled to 75–100% of their capacity. This indicated a strong water position for irrigation but also increased pressure on managing surplus discharges.
Uttam Kumar Reddy
The Minister said that flood-related damages must be attended to on war footing. The flood damage report showed 177 cases of breaches and damages across tanks, canals, and lifts.
Restoration costs were estimated at over ₹335 crore, with nearly 3,500 temporary restorations already undertaken. Districts such as Adilabad, Mulugu, Mahabubnagar, and Suryapet reported higher levels of damage. Uttam Kumar Reddy directed that permanent restoration works be prioritised and warned that negligence in flood management would not be tolerated.
On irrigation preparedness, he instructed engineers to ensure that farmers receive water as per crop calendars. For the ongoing Vanakalam (kharif) season, the SCIWAM Committee had proposed irrigation coverage of several lakh acres, requiring over 388 TMC of water. He said that district officials must coordinate tank releases so that no ayacut area is left out, especially in regions that depend on minor irrigation.
Uttam Kumar Reddy asked engineers to operate the infrastructure at maximum efficiency to secure Godavari waters for current and future cropping cycles. The Minister asked for optimum use of water in Kadam, Yellampalli, and SRSP projects. He also instructed them to fill up all minor irrigation tanks to ensure year-round water adequacy.
Uttam to visit the Sripada Yellampally Project
The Minister informed that he would visit the Sripada Yellampally Project in Peddapally district, Sriram Sagar Project in Nizamabad, and Mid Manair Project in Rajanna Sircilla district on Wednesday to assess the situation.
Reiterating the government’s commitment, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana was facing a dual challenge – flood management in low-lying areas and irrigation support to farmers. He assured that the government would handle both with equal seriousness. “Farmers’ welfare is our top priority.
At the same time, we will ensure that people in flood-hit regions are protected and provided immediate relief,” he said.
The Minister called for continuous monitoring of reservoir levels, strict flood preparedness, and coordination between irrigation and revenue officials for effective water management.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including Principal Secretary (Irrigation) Rahul Bojja, Special Secretary Prashant Jeevan Patil, Engineer-in-Chief Amjad Hussain, and others. (Maxim News)
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