All efforts to maximise Godavari water for farmers: Uttam

Hyderabad: Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday, August 1, said every effort is being made to maximise the utilisation of Godavari waters for the benefit of farmers in north Telangana districts.

Reddy, accompanied by ministers D Sridhar Babu, G Vivek Venkatswamy and Adluri Laxman Kumar, inspected Sriramsagar (SRSP), Kadem, and Sripada Yellampally projects as they received the first significant Godavari inflows during the current monsoon season.

Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted that landmark projects like Sriram Sagar Project, Kadem Nagarjuna Sagar, Srisailam, and the Flood Flow Canal — all built decades ago during Congress regimes — continue to serve the state.

In contrast, the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram project, constructed between 2016 and 2019 during the previous BRS regime, developed serious structural issues by 2023, he said.

He asserted that there is no political motive in keeping the three barrages under free-flow conditions.

The government is strictly following National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and CWC (Central Water Commission) directives, which prohibit water storage until detailed investigations and repairs are completed, he said.

Telangana has achieved record paddy production of nearly 300 lakh metric tonnes annually and procured 152 lakh metric tonnes in recent seasons without using water from the damaged barrages, he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy assured northern Telangana farmers that the government is committed to optimally utilising Godavari water for irrigation, drinking, and agriculture.