Uttam orders cautious water releases

metro india news  I hyderabad

Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday called for a balance between drinking-water security and irrigation needs amid El Niño conditions and uncertain monsoon rainfall. Reviewing reservoir levels and Kharif irrigation prospects at Jal Soudha, he directed officials to base releases on usable storage, dependable inflows and realistic rainfall assessments.

Krishna basin reservoirs were 76.63% full, holding 746.12 TMC against 973.68 TMC capacity, while Godavari basin reservoirs were 68.1% full with 208.38 TMC against 306.20 TMC. Nagarjuna Sagar held about 164 TMC against its 312-TMC capacity, retaining a 47% flood cushion.

Uttam asked officials to compare 2025 and 2026 storage and inflows and avoid assuming heavy September-October inflows. Water should be released where dependable replenishment exists while conserving reservoirs dependent on uncertain inflows.

He reviewed irrigation prospects from Wyra, Devadula, Nizam Sagar, SRSP and Musi and stressed optimum use of available water to protect standing crops.

He directed officials to prioritise Singur Dam repairs and expedite Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel works without compromising safety. Updated CWC and IMD data should guide technical assessments.