In a relief to people in uplands of Palnadu, the Nagarjuna Sagar Project Canals department on Monday has decided to release 10 tmc of water from Nagarjuna Sagar Project to meet the drinking water requirements of people living in areas covered by Nagarjuna Sagar Project Right Canal, Zone 1.
District Collector I. Samuel Anand Kumar said that water would be drawn from NSP reservoir on Tuesday and impounded in Bugga Vagu before being released into the Right Canal.
The schedule of water releases would be announced on Wednesday, the Collector said. The water would be used to fill up 250 tanks maintained by the Rural Water Supply department, and 10 tanks in municipalities. With this, water woes of Vinukonda, Macherla municipalities, Bollapalli mandal would be lessened.
At the DDRC meeting held last week, the NS Canal engineers informed that about 10 tmc of water were still available in the reservoir and water could be released for about ten days to serve drinking water and irrigation needs of the people.
The current water level at NSP reservoir hovers at 507 feet, while 120 tmc of water is available in the reservoir. But NSP reservoir also meets the drinking water requirements of people in Hyderabad.
The announcement of water release could not have come at a better time. The acute water crisis has been a major issue in the recent polls. The water crisis is severe in Narsaraopet, Macherla and Vinukonda mandals with Bollapalli mandal being the worst hit. The bore wells in many villages in Bollapalli mandal have gone completely dry, forcing the villagers to depend on water tankers.
Mean while, farming operations are yet to begin in NSP ayacut area. Paddy was being cultivated in 4.50 lakh acres under the Right Canal ayacut area.
