Brimming reservoirs raise farmers’ hopes

Luxettipet: The farmers, who has been facing drought for the past two years, are relieved with abundant water availability for paddy cultivation during rabi. The heavy rainfall during Khariff season filled all the reservoirs in Kadem, Yellampalli, Ryali and other places in the district.

The farmers are gearing up for cultivation hoping to raise more crops both under ayacut and borewells if water from Kadem, Gudem Lift Irrigation, Ryali Wagu, Gollvagu and other reservoirsare released.

They hope to cover the losses incurred for the past two years if irrigation facilities are made available. At the District Irrigation Advisory Board which met last month in Mancherial with District Collector R V Karnan, MLAs and irrigation officials attending, the Collector asked officials to provide details of irrigation facilities and suggested them to take precautions to avoid water shortage. This gave hopes among farmers in the context of heavy rain filling water bodies during Kharif season.

Kadem mandal in Nirmal district, Jinnaram in Mancherial, Dandepalli, Luxettipet mandals would get water. Kadem reservoir has 694 ft of water, enough for Rabi season. Dandepalli reservoir will get water to its full capacity if Kadem water is released. The level in Yellampalli reservoir is 148 metres.

With abundant availability at Gudem Lift Scheme back water, the ayacut farmers are about to start cultivation. The Gudem Lift Scheme has an ayacut of 30,000 acres. Already the farmers had taken up cultivation of crops during Kharif after water was released from the scheme. Water was not released during the last Rabi for meeting the drinking needs of Hyderabad.

However, the situation is changed now as the reservoir is full. This gives scope for farmers to take up cultivation under the ayacut from Dandepalli to Mancherial mandals if the Lift Scheme water is released. As against the FRL (Full Reservoir Level) of 407 ft the Nilvayi project has full capacity.

This can provide water to 2,500 acres. With the Gollavagu project having 509 ft, as against FRL of 510 and Ryali Wagu project having 496 ft, as against FRL of 497.05 ft, officials say that 1,500 acres can be covered in the Rabi season. The officials have suggested releasing water for the Rabi from January 15.

If water from both the reservoirs and lift schemes is released the levels under the ayacut and borewells is likely to increase.
As the Agriculture department officials have identified that there is a possibiIity of crop cultivation being taken up in 15,000 hectares if water released from the reservoir, farmers are surely to be benefited.

p satyanarayana