Hyderabad: Former minister and Siddipet MLA T. Harish Rao urged authorities to immediately lift 30 TMC of water into Siddipet reservoirs. He said the measure was necessary to protect standing crops and prevent irrigation and drinking water shortages through July 2027.
Harish Rao wrote to the Siddipet District Collector and the District Irrigation Advisory Committee seeking immediate action. He also called for adequate water storage in Mid Manair Reservoir for further lifting during summer.
The former minister raised the issues ahead of a District Irrigation Advisory Committee meeting at the Siddipet Collectorate. The District Collector was scheduled to chair the meeting.
Siddipet reservoirs water levels raise concern
Harish Rao referred to the government’s assessment that El Niño conditions could continue until July 2027. He said authorities should act immediately to manage its potential impact until the next monsoon.
He said the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project included several major reservoirs in Siddipet district. These included Annapurna, Ranganayaka Sagar, Komuravelli Mallanna Sagar and Kondapochamma Sagar.
According to Harish Rao, authorities usually lifted water from Mid Manair Reservoir in Rajanna Sircilla district into these reservoirs by this time each year. However, he said officials had not yet started lifting operations this year.
He claimed Annapurna and Ranganayaka Sagar reservoirs had reached dead storage levels. Moreover, he said Komuravelli Mallanna Sagar and Kondapochamma Sagar were also at critically low levels. Harish Rao said the condition of the reservoirs caused him distress. He urged officials to start pumping water without further delay.
Harish Rao seeks 30 TMC for Siddipet reservoirs
The BRS leader requested authorities to lift 30 TMC immediately and fill reservoirs, tanks, ponds and check dams. He said the stored water would also improve groundwater levels.
Consequently, farmers could benefit during the ongoing monsoon crop season, he said.
Harish Rao claimed only about 65 per cent of farmers had cultivated monsoon crops this year. According to him, the remaining farmers had left cultivable land fallow because they feared irrigation shortages.
He said filling the reservoirs was essential to protect crops already under cultivation. Farmers growing paddy, oil palm and other crops were waiting for water lifting operations, he added.
Siddipet reservoirs water plan sought through July 2027
Harish Rao said authorities should ensure adequate irrigation and drinking water supplies through July 2027. Therefore, he called for immediate pumping into the district’s reservoirs.
Once farmers and residents used the first round of stored water, officials should undertake another round of lifting, he said. For this purpose, he asked authorities to retain adequate water in Mid Manair for Siddipet district. He also urged Irrigation Department officials to plan water availability for lifting during the Yasangi crop season.
According to Harish Rao, authorities would need around six to seven TMC solely for drinking water requirements. Therefore, he stressed the need for advance storage and coordinated water management. He argued that the present situation could have been avoided if officials had lifted water rapidly when the Godavari had sufficient flows.
Harish Rao urged the District Collector to bring the situation to the attention of senior officials. He also asked the Agriculture and Irrigation departments to work together to prevent hardship for farmers.
The former minister said coordinated planning was necessary to protect standing crops while securing drinking water supplies. He sought advance measures to ensure Siddipet faced no water shortage until the next monsoon season.