KCR wants Kakatiya era tanks to be restored

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao expressed his desire that the chain of tanks constructed during the Kakatiya period which were the main resource for centuries for cultivation in Telangana, have to be brought back to the   past glory through the Mission Kakatiya.   

The Chief Minister instructed officers concerned that an integrated plan has to be formulated where in the projects water, rain water and regenerated water together are separately reach straight away to the tanks.  He said that a comprehensive project report on rejuvenating minor irrigation system and tanks system for interlinking tanks has to be prepared within a week and submitted to the government.  The CM said that the rejuvenation of tanks under Mission Kakatiya will be completed and the objectives are achieved only when all the tanks are brimming and embellish with water. 

KCR held a review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan on Friday afternoon on Mission Kakatiya and Minor Irrigation system resources.  CS SK Joshi, Principal Secretary finance Rama Krishna Rao ENC Muralidhar, CADA Commissioner Malsur, Chief Engineer Minor Engineer Shyam Sunder, DD CADA Sneha, Retired Engineer in Chief Vijay Prakash participated in the review. 

“Once upon a time the minor irrigation system in Telangana was excellent.  Bountiful of crops were the result of the chain of tanks constructed by the Kakatiya rulers.  The excess water from one tank is to flow to a different tank in the chain naturally.  There were natural feeder canals for flowing water into the tanks.  Tanks were also to be filled with water flowing through catchment areas.  In 1974 itself, in accordance with the Bachawat Tribunal award, 265 TMC of water from two river basins were allocated to the tanks in Telangana.  In due course the tanks were destroyed.  The Telangana life too has been destroyed.  To provide water for their crops the Telangana farmers spent lakhs of crores of money and dug more than 25 lakh of borewells.  Even then there were not enough of crops and the agriculture faced destruction” said the CM. 

“The government has taken up the Mission Kakatiya programme for revival and rejuvenation of tanks in Telangana.  We could get the tanks repaired only when these tanks brim with water and embellish then the objectives of Mission Kakatiya are successful.  Presently water from the tanks are to be used for filling the tanks.  Efforts are to be made to reach the rain water into the tanks.  The regenerated water should also reach to the tanks straight away.  For this a comprehensive project report and plan of action has to be prepared.  In Telangana 12,150 chains are identified in which there are 27,800 tanks.  If water could reach the first tank in the chain, to enable excess water of the tank reach the other tank in the chain feeder canals are to be got ready.   Once upon a time there were natural flows here and there on the land.  These are slowly disappeared in due course due to excess of borewells resulting in underground water getting drained out.  If once the tanks are filled again the underground levels will increase.  The natural flows also can be seen again.  From one tank water flows to other tank for which feeder canal system has to be kept ready.  A workshop has to be organised with engineering experts to prepare a plan of action and works are to be started during this season only” said CM. 

“Along with revival and rejuvenation of tanks in the state check dams are being built by irrigation department, R&B and Panchayat Raj on a large scale. Statistical data has to be collected as to what exactly with the storage capacity of tanks and check dams. Plan has to evolve to see that every tank is filled with water and brimming with water.  The government is ready to provide adequate funds for this purpose” said the Chief Minister.