3 weeks ago
Harish Urges Uttam to Use KLIS Pumps for Farmers
Farmers need water for their crops, but it has not rained enough because of a weather pattern called El Nino.
A man named Harish Rao, who used to be in charge of irrigation, is worried about them.
He wrote a letter to the new irrigation minister, Uttam Kumar Reddy.
In the letter, he asked the government to turn on the big pumps of a water project called Kaleshwaram.
Those pumps move water from one reservoir to another.
If all the pumps are switched on, big water tanks called reservoirs can be filled.
That water can then be used to irrigate crops on about 400,000 acres of farmland.
There is already a lot of water — about 22 tmc ft — at a reservoir called Mid Manair.
Harish says the government should start pumping that water right away.
This would help farmers who are struggling to grow their crops.
Former irrigation minister T. Harish Rao wrote to irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy demanding immediate use of KLIS pumps.
Filling reservoirs such as Annapurna, Ranganayakasagar, Mallannasagar, Konda Pochammasagar and Nrusimha (Baswapur) could irrigate around 4 lakh acres of farmland.
Farmers face severe distress due to low rainfall caused by El Nino and reservoirs not being filled on time, stalling crop cultivation.
Around 22 tmc ft of water is available at Mid Manair reservoir, whose full capacity is 27 tmc ft.
Pumping water from Mid Manair to Lower Manair Dam could benefit farmers under SRSP Stage II.
- Who
- T. Harish Rao, former irrigation minister and senior BRS leader, who made the demand; N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, the irrigation minister who received the letter.
- What
- Demand to immediately switch on all Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme (KLIS) pumps to fill reservoirs and irrigate about 4 lakh acres of farmland.
- Where
- Mid Manair reservoir and other reservoirs under the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme.
- When
- Monday (exact date not specified in the article).
- Why
- Farmers face severe distress because of low rainfall caused by El Nino and the failure to fill reservoirs in time, which has stalled crop cultivation.
Key facts
- Demand
- Immediately utilise KLIS pumps to provide irrigation relief to farmers
- Letter recipient
- Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy
- Reservoirs to be filled
- Annapurna, Ranganayakasagar, Mallannasagar, Konda Pochammasagar, Nrusimha (Baswapur)
- Farmland that could be irrigated
- Around 4 lakh acres
- Water available at Mid Manair
- Around 22 tmc ft (full capacity 27 tmc ft)
- Cause of farmer distress
- Low rainfall due to El Nino and delayed reservoir filling
- Other beneficiaries
- SRSP Stage II farmers through Lower Manair Dam










