Hyderabad: Mallanna Sagar works to be fast-tracked

Hyderabad: The irrigation department has shifted focus to fast-tracking all-important Mallanna Sagar Reservoir as the works of other reservoirs have reached final stages.

The reservoir is proposed in the fourth stage of Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation project. At this stage, the Godavari water would flow from Mid Manair Reservoir to Konda Pochamma Sagar feeding Ananthagiri, Komaravelli Mallanna Sagar, Ranganayaka Sagar Reservoirs on the way.

The total storage capacity along with these reservoirs is 71.5 tmcft including 50 tmcft of Mallanna Sagar. It would provide irrigation to 5.89 lakh acres.

The Godavari water would be carried from Mallanna Sagar to Mulkalapalli village in Chityal mandal, feeding Gandhamalla and Baswapur reservoirs which have a total storage capacity of 21.26 tmcft and covers a total ayacut of 2.51 lakh acres.

The Mallanna Sagar would provide irrigation facilities to large part of lands proposed under the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation project. The works are on at a brisk pace as the land acquisition process has been completed.

The reservoirs linked to Mallanna Sagar like Ananthagiri and Ranganayaka Sagar are ready and they have been receiving water from Godavari through the lifts, approach channels and tunnels.

The officials of Irrigation have been visiting the site of the reservoir to ensure that the work agencies complete the execution by December this year. The pumping system is being constructed now. The works of the bund of the reservoir are also at fast pace.

The TS Transco officials are also working round the clock for setting up lifts to provide water to Mallanna Sagar. The six pump sets each with a capacity of 27 MW at Akkaram are ready.

Water from here will reach Markuk where six more pump sets each with a capacity of 34 MW are ready to supply water to Mallanna Sagar.

The Transco officials are confident of completing the testing and get the pump sets ready to lift the water at the earliest.

Officials expect to fill the MS reservoir with water by December this year. The water would be released to the command area being proposed under the reservoir from next January.

The officials are continuing the works despite the lockdown in the state due to the spread of Coronavirus so that the project cost did not exceed. The works are carried out with due precautions.

The Sagar would feed tanks of Medak, Siddipet, Nalgonda and Kamareddy districts which would be used for irrigation and water would be carried to Hyderabad from this project for drinking purposes.