Downpour drenches Warangal, water bodies swell

Warangal: Almost all the streams and water bodies in the erstwhile Warangal have come to life following the incessant rains in the last four days. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting thundershowers for the next few days, the farmers are hopeful of seeing the remaining water bodies that didn't receive enough inflows.

It may be mentioned here that those receiving excess rainfall this season include Jangaon with 45 per cent, Warangal Urban and Mahabubabad with 22 per cent each. While Warangal rural, Jayashankar-Bhupalpally and Mulugu have witnessed normal rainfall this year.

The major lakes Laknavaram, Ramappa and Pakhal which are the lifeline for thousands of farmers are also brimming to their capacity. With its capacity of 33.2 feet, the Laknavaram lake in Govidaraopet mandal of Mulugu district has already started to overflow.

The capacity of the lake is 1.2 tmc ft and irrigates 12,000 acres under its ayacut. On the other hand, the water level in Ramappa lake was at 29 feet as against its capacity of 35 feet. As many as 5,100 acres are under its ayacut.

Elsewhere in Warangal Rural district, Pakhal lake spread over 5,300 acres is receiving abundant inflows. Presently, the water level in the lake is 27.3 feet against its capacity of 30 feet. The lake with its holding capacity of 3.23 tmc ft irrigates 28,365 acres.

With Godavari receiving copious inflows, the officials lifted all the 57 gates of the Lakshmi Barrage at Medigadda under Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) leaving the floodwaters downstream. Godavari along with Pranahita is receiving 3.50 lakh cusecs, it's learnt.

Meanwhile, the vehicular traffic on the National Highway-163 has a tough time with winds uprooting trees at several places. The rains also caused coal production in Singareni mines across Jayashankar-Bhupalpally district. It's learnt that Singareni has incurred a loss of around Rs 12 crore in the last three days.