Hyderabad: Cautious water use will guide Telangana’s irrigation planning as the State prepares for possible El Niño-related rainfall concerns, Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Monday.
Speaking at the Maha Varuna Yagam at Nagarjunasagar, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government was combining spiritual practices with administrative and water-management measures.
The government was praying for widespread rainfall while also preparing the irrigation system to make optimal use of available water. The plan covers water in reservoirs, rivers and tanks.
The Minister said the Varuna Yagam took place on the banks of the Krishna River. The ritual sought good rainfall across Telangana and healthy flows in the Krishna and Godavari rivers.
It also sought replenishment of reservoirs and tanks and a prosperous agricultural season.
Cautious water use planned as rainfall remains uncertain
Uttam Kumar Reddy said emerging El Niño conditions raised concern because they could affect rainfall during the remaining months of the monsoon.
Therefore, the government could not depend solely on expectations of future rainfall. Instead, officials planned water utilisation based on currently available resources.
“Every drop of water has to be used carefully. Protecting the interests of farmers and ensuring that available water lasts through the agricultural season are our foremost priorities,” he said.
The Minister stressed the importance of sustained rainfall in the catchment areas of the Krishna and Godavari rivers. Such rainfall would remain crucial for Telangana’s irrigation needs, he said.
Recent inflows had provided some relief to irrigation projects in both river basins. However, continued rainfall in the upper catchments would help raise reservoir levels and provide greater certainty for irrigation.
Meanwhile, the government closely monitored rainfall, river inflows, reservoir storage and irrigation requirements. Officials would take decisions according to actual water availability, Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
Farmers would also receive advice on suitable cropping patterns. The guidance would take reservoir levels and the likely availability of water during the agricultural season into account.