Dry Pocharam project keeps farmers on the edge.

​Nizamabad: The farmers of Yellareddy and Nagireddypet mandals have been worrying about water level in Pocharam project touching the storage level as the rains played truant after the initial euphoria.

The cultivation of kharif crop under the project ayacut seems to be not feasible under the prevailing circumstances.

While some farmers are praying to the Rain Gods for mercy, some others have been trying their luck to cultivate crops with the help of bore wells.

The Pocharam Project is described as the boon to the two mandals in Kamareddy division. It was two months ago, the rainy season commenced, but inflows into the project are nil.

Farmers of the mandals are dependent on the project to meet irrigation needs. It also caters to people’s drinking water needs in the two mandals.

The project ayacut has been divided into A and B zones. During the kharif Yellareddy and Nagireddypeta mandals get water from the project.

However in rabi, the water will be supplied in turns to the two mandals. Last Rabi, irrigation facility was provided to Yellareddy mandal farmers, this rabi season it is the turn of the Nagireddypet mandal farmers.

For want of rains during kharif, thousands of acres under the ayacut turned parched lands. Only those who are dependent on bore wells raised crops in this kharif season.

The Pocharam reservoir was built in 1917 by the erstwhile Nizam rulers and became a boon to Nagireddypet, Yellareddy and Lingampeta mandals. Against the full reservoir level of 1.8 tmc, the water level in it measured as 0.02 tmc.

The project is completely dependent on rains for inflows. If it rains in Gandhari and Lingampet mandals water would find its way into the project.

In spite of rains here and there, the inflows into the project are not adequate. The farmers have been worried about inadequate inflows into the reservoir through Peddavagu in Lingampet. Also the rainfall in Burgupalli in Medak district has no impact on the reservoir.

According to irrigation records, the reservoir has an ayacut of 10,500 acres. But, annually over 15000 acres are cultivated under it rather unofficially.

If the inflows are good, the reservoir has a potential to irrigate 20,000 acres. Besides, it can also feed downstream Nizam Sagar project.

Additional inflows into the Pocharam project will flow to Nizam Sagar through Manjeera River. During the past two years, there were no inflows into the Nizam Sagar.

Officially, the project irrigates 5500 acres in Nagireddypet and 5000 in Yellareddy. As per the zonal system of providing irrigation facility, this time A zone farmers should get the facility.

But if there is 18 feet of water stored in the reservoir, then only the A zone farmers will get water for irrigation. If there are bountiful rains in August, September and October, the project will get filled so that A zone farmers can raise crops.

Pocharam project main canal empties itself into Pedda Tank in Yellareddy to quench the people’s thirst. The water stored in the project is only sufficient to meet the drinking water needs.

If the water is not used judiciously, the problems likely to be galore on drinking water front as well.