The Irrigation Department has proposed construction of a new link canal between Flood Flow Canal (FFC) and Kakatiya Canal of Sriramsagar Project (SRSP) to carry Kaleshwaram project water to about 2.51 lakh acres ayacut with gravity flow.
A detailed report on the proposal was submitted to the Engineer-in-Chief (Projects) at Karimnagar recently after a comprehensive survey and investigation. According to the report, the link canal would take off at 88.400 km point of the FFC, which would get water from Package-8 pumping station of Kaleshwaram project as part of SRSP rejuvenation scheme, and join the Kakatiya Canal at it 97.460 km point. The idea is to supplement Kaleshwaram water to 2.51 lakh acres ayacut under distributaries 70 to 94 of Kakatiya Canal whenever there are lean inflows into Sriramsagar project, officials of the Irrigation Department stated. It is estimated that the 3-km link canal would cost about ₹ 43.2 crore at 2018-19 standard schedule of rates (SSR). The requirement of water for the supplementation for a period of 120 days has been assessed at 25 tmc ft. “The plan is to complete the work before the next rabi season itself, once cleared by the government as the length of the canal is only about 3 km and the land required (to be acquired) is only 76 acres,” a senior engineer who did not wish to be quoted said. As pumping of water from Yellampally to FFC through Packages 6 to 8 of Kaleshwaram project is likely to commence during the current monsoon season itself, supplementing water to Kakatiya Canal with the help of the proposed gravity (link) canal is not difficult, the engineer stated.
Explaining the technical aspects of the proposed link canal, the irrigation engineer said there would not be any problem in gravity flow as the bed level of FFC at the link canal’s offtake point is 314.248 metres (above mean sea level) and that of Kakatiya Canal at adjoining point is 292.361 metres. A head regulator has been proposed at the offtake point of the link canal and to ensure smooth flow and non-turbulence velocities into Kakatiya Canal 2 metre drops would be provided at 8 points, 1 metre drop at one point and a 2.7 metre drop at one point.
The discharge required at the off-take point has been calculated as 2,510 cusecs. The 3 km gravity canal would also have three single-lane road bridge and one double-lane road bridge structures.
