The Irrigation authorities in the district are considering proposals to ensure maximum utilisation of water from Musi reservoir located in Kethepally mandal of Nalgonda district. The plans to increase its capacity from the existing 3.87 tmc ft to 10 tmc ft apart from increasing water allocation to the three canals are also being considered.
There are also plans to construct massive check dams across Musi reservoir. A team of Irrigation officials led by Bhongir MP Bura Narasaiah Goud had inspected the canals after which it decided to rope in a private agency to study the proposals. Work would be executed based on the report that will be filed by the agency. “Irrigation Department is set to issue a GO appointing a consultancy to study these proposals,” Mr. Goud said. Apart from bringing additional area under cultivation, the irrigation officials plan to feed hundreds of minor irrigation tanks. The first two canals on Musi river – Pillaipally, Buniyadgani – have allocation of 55 cusecs while the third one, Dharamareddypally, has 100 cusecs. The government is now planning to increase the allocation for all the three canals to 300 cusecs. Executive Engineer, Irrigation, M.A. Hameed Khan, said that check dams would be constructed where the supply of irrigation water on gravity to agriculture fields would be possible by digging canals. The Musi reservoir water was being supplied to Suryapet town for drinking purpose earlier. But it was stopped as the water got polluted due to release of drainage water from Hyderabad.
Bhongir MP said that the plan includes setting up of a sewage treatment plant upstream so that the water can be used for drinking purpose in the coming days.
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He mentioned that water consumption in Hyderabad has increased manifold in the last few years.