The Rain God has finally smiled upon the state but major reservoirs like Nagarjunasagar are still receiving poor inflows. Unless rains continue for another couple of days and the situation improves, nearly 80 per cent farmers in the area under the Nagarjunasagar ayacut likely to be forced to declare a crop holiday. Result: poor crop production and skyrocketing prices. The water level in the Nagarjunasagar reservoir, considered as the lifeline for several districts including Hyderabad, has come down drastically.
The current level is 510.50 ft against its capacity of 590 ft, recording its lowest water level in recent years. At present, about 312 tmcft of water is available at Nagarjunasagar against its 408 tmcft capacity. Inflows from the Srisailam reservoir to Nagarjunasagar were recorded as 3,495 cusecs at 6.30 am on Sunday.
At this level, the water can be drawn only for a few days. The dead storage level of the reservoir is 510 ft. As per government orders, officials released 3 tmcft of water to the Krishna delta between June 29 and July 10.
Farmers fear that if the rainfall does not increase in coming days, reservoir levels are likely to decrease beyond the minimum drawdown level (MDDL) and thus, deny them sufficient water for irrigation.
“I have two acres of land and dug two borewells. Though I took up farming under these borewells, the water is not sufficient for the crop and I hope that water level at the Nagarjunasagar dam increases fast as the groundwater level depletes,” said Siliveeru Achalu, a resident of Mukundapuram village in Nidamanoor mandal.
Small farmers like Veepuru Ramulu from Yacharam in Peddavoora mandal, are planning to migrate to neighbouring districts for farm work if the water inflows does not improve. “I have five acres of land under the right canal. Unless sufficient water is released, I have to migrate in search of work,” he said. About 11,25,000 acres each are cultivated under the left and right canals.
The Nagarjunasagar dam serves as one of the primary irrigation and hydro-electric projects. Besides providing water for irrigation, the Nagarjunasagar reservoir also caters to the daily water needs in Hyderabad. The depleting water level at the dam threateans drinking water supply to Hyderabad and its suburbs. As of now, water which is stored at Akkampally can be supplied to the twin cities for only 20 days.
Officials concerned said the water level in the reservoir has decreased because there are no sufficient inflows during the last Rabi and Kharif seasons from the upper riparian areas. Power generation under the right and left canals has been stopped.
“Rains have just started in upper riparian states like Maharashtra and Karnataka but they are not encouraging. Unless the upper riparian states receive abundant rainfall and the reservoirs in those states are filled to their capacity, we have grim chances of receiving good inflows to take up agricultural operations on a full scale,” said a senior engineer of the project.
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