Telangana Government Maximising Godavari Waters for Farmers, Clarifies Yellampally Operations

Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with Ministers D. Sridhar Babu, G. Vivek Venkataswamy, and Adluri Laxman Kumar, inspected major irrigation infrastructure in Peddapalli district to assess water inflows and project readiness. The government stated that every effort is being made to maximize the utilization of Godavari waters for farmers across the state while working towards the revival of Kaleshwaram project barrages.

What Happened

A delegation of ministers, legislators, and senior officials visited the Sriramsagar, Kaddam, and Yellampally projects to review initial seasonal inflows, storage capacities, and pumping systems. During the inspection at the Sripada Yellampally Project, five pumps were activated at the Nandi Medaram pump house to fill the Mid Manair reservoir via the Flood Flow Canal using gravity-drawn water from Yellampally.

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy clarified that the water currently being pumped from Yellampally is natural Godavari flow and not water lifted from the Kaleshwaram barrages—Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla. He noted that Yellampally was planned under the Congress-era Pranahita Chevella project.

Key Highlights

• Five pumps activated at Nandi Medaram pump house to direct gravity-drawn water from Yellampally reservoir into Mid Manair via the Flood Flow Canal.
• Hourly monitoring and coordinated operations mandated across projects to eliminate water wastage.
• Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages remain under free-flow conditions as mandated by National Dam Safety Authority and Central Water Commission directives.
• IIT Bombay and AFRY India are currently formulating rehabilitation designs, expected within 2 to 3 months, supervised by a Central Technical Oversight Committee established on June 30.
• Proposed restoration work includes constructing a diaphragm wall and extending the stilling basin to strengthen project foundations.
• Kannepalli pumps remain non-operational because lifting water there requires storage in Annaram and Sundilla, where experts identified secant pile foundation defects.

Why This Matters

The operational management of the Godavari river projects directly affects water availability for agricultural ayacuts in Telangana. By utilizing existing gravity flows and historic canal networks such as the Flood Flow Canal, the state aims to secure water for Mid Manair while maintaining strict dam safety protocols at damaged barrage sites until expert-backed repairs are implemented.

What to Watch Next

Rehabilitation designs from IIT Bombay and AFRY India are scheduled for completion in 2 to 3 months. Once approved, foundation strengthening and repair works will commence with the target of restoring the barrages before the subsequent monsoon season.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are the Kaleshwaram barrages currently under free-flow conditions?

Directives from the National Dam Safety Authority and the Central Water Commission prohibit water storage at Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla until comprehensive structural investigations and expert-designed repairs are executed.

Why are the Kannepalli pumps currently not being operated?

Operating the Kannepalli pumps requires storing water in the Annaram and Sundilla barrages, both of which are under ongoing investigation for structural defects in their secant pile foundation systems.

Source: Based on reporting from The Hindu.