With the Mid Manair Dam (MMD) better known as Sri Raja Rajeshwara (SRR) reservoir receiving 22.50 tmc ft of water against its full storage capacity of 25.875 tmc ft on Monday, the irrigation authorities are all set to lift water from the project to Ananthagirisagar project and later to Mallannasagar project in Siddipet district.
For the first time, the irrigation authorities have filled the MMD with 22.50 tmc ft of water on Monday — since its construction by lifting waters from the Sripada Yellampalli Project (SYP). Initially, the irrigation authorities have lifted waters from SYP in the month of August and stored up to 15 tmc ft in MMD. However, following the reported seepages to the earth dam, the authorities released MMD water downstream to Lower Manair Dam on August 30 to avoid possible breach to the earth dam.
Later, the authorities have taken repairs to the seepages and slowly filled the MMD up to 22.50 tmc ft — and in another three to four days, they intend to completely fill the project to its full capacity of 25.875 tmcs following the steady inflows of 7431 cusecs of water from Gayathri pump house of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).
Now, the KLIP authorities are planning to lift water from MMD into the Asia’s biggest open to sky surge pool in Thippapur of Illanthakunta mandal and lift water into Ananthagiri (3.5 tmc ft) and into Ranganayakasagar (3 tmc ft) and into Mallannasagar project (50 tmc ft).
In the meantime, the backwaters of the MMD have touched the Sircilla textile town — giving a new lease of life to the people of the upland region. The Rajanna-Sircilla district is known to be drought prone upland region. But, the MMD and the ongoing Malkapet reservoir and the existing Upper Manair Dam (UMD) would transform the district on the irrigation front with the lifting of KLIP waters.
The irrigation authorities say that they were planning to launch the lifting of MMD waters into the Ananthagirisagar on a grand scale by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and other dignitaries. However, the official confirmation is awaited, they added.
