Nagarjuna Sagar Project at dead storage level

Nalgonda: Roads and Buildings and Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has urged farmers in Nalgonda district to avoid paddy cultivation and switch to less water-intensive crops in view of the prevailing water shortage and the expected impact of El Niño.

Addressing the District Irrigation Advisory Board meeting at the Nalgonda District Collectorate on Saturday, the Minister said the Nagarjuna Sagar Project was currently at dead storage level and the available water would be sufficient only for drinking purposes until June 2027. Even if water reached the project from Srisailam, there would not be enough water for irrigation, he said.

Komatireddy said the AMRP was also only half full and warned that the possibility of a Super El Niño could further worsen the situation in South Telangana. He directed officials and elected representatives to visit villages, create awareness among farmers and encourage them to cultivate dryland and other less water-intensive crops.

As part of crop diversification, farmers had so far replaced paddy with alternative crops on around 33,000 acres in the district. The Minister directed officials to increase this area to 1.5 lakh acres. He stressed that farmers should be supported during the difficult period and advised them to consider vegetable, horticultural and organic farming. He also expressed concern over the continuous cultivation of two paddy crops a year. Excessive use of fertilisers and repeated paddy cultivation could reduce soil fertility and affect the future productivity of agricultural lands, he cautioned.

On irrigation projects, Komatireddy said works on the SLBC tunnel were progressing and would be completed by August 2028. Through the AMRP, SLBC and Brahmana Vellemla projects, irrigation water would eventually be provided to around four lakh acres in Nalgonda district.

The Minister also assured that steps would be taken to address the overloading of around 9,000 transformers in the district by arranging the required electrical equipment in consultation with the Chief Minister.

MLC Shankar Naik said the expected impact of El Niño could further affect irrigation and called for greater awareness among farmers about crop diversification.

District Collector B. Chandrasekhar said there was little possibility of receiving irrigation water from upstream sources in the coming days. Based on weather forecasts, South Telangana could receive inadequate rainfall, while some parts of North Telangana may get scattered showers.

He directed Agriculture and Horticulture officials to reach farmers at the field level and encourage them to cultivate alternative crops before the August 15 deadline.

The Collector also called for promoting rooftop rainwater harvesting structures in municipalities. Officials from irrigation, groundwater, agriculture, horticulture and electricity departments attended the meeting and explained the prevailing water situation and proposed action plan.

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