Water released into Kakatiya Main Canal to save standing crops in SRSP ayacut

Water was released into the Kakatiya main canal from the Sriramsagar Project (SRSP) in Nizamabad district on Saturday, a move likely to bring relief to farmers in ayacut amid fears of the impact of El Nino conditions on crop prospects.

According to sources, the release into the Kakatiya main canal started on Saturday morning at the rate of 2,000 cusecs and was subsequently increased to 6,000 cusecs in the evening to meet the irrigation needs of the ayacut above the Lower Manair Dam (LMD).

The release followed representations by ministers and elected representatives from the erstwhile undivided Karimnagar district to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy seeking release of water for ayacut under the SRSP, sources said.

The project had a storage of around 45 tmc ft, with the water level at 1,080.20 ft against a full reservoir level (FRL) of 1,091 ft.

Sources said that on the corresponding day last year, the project was almost full.

Officials urged farmers to use the released water judiciously, given the relatively low storage in the reservoir following a lack of rainfall during the recently concluded monsoon season. They cited the potential impact of El Nino conditions on water availability.

Published – 10 Oct 2026 21:37 IST