Satellite images indicate good news for farmers from Sriram Sagar
By Dheeshma Published on 25 Oct 2019 10:21 PM IST
Hyderabad: Satellite images of Nizamabad’s Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP) dated July 29 to October 21 2019, show that the reservoir has been receiving good inflow. According to officials, for the first time in last three years, the tank will offer water to 100% of its irrigation area for the upcoming Rabi season beginning from December 15 and ending on March 31.
Ramarao, Executive Engineer, Sriram Sagar Project told NewsMeter, “This year (2019) we are going to provide water for irrigation area spread across 420,000 acres of SRSP. For the last two years, this will be the first time we are providing water to 100% of SRSP’s irrigation area. Since three days ago, the dam has touched its full tank level. Probably from the third week of December we will be able to provide water to farmers.”
Images of SRSP flood inflow from July and August
Satellite image source: Pradeep Goud Macharla, Railroad Engineer, US
Satellite data source: #SAR Sentinel-1 Copernicus-EU
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The satellite images captured over the last four months — July to October — come as a sign of solace to Telangana. According to official sources, the reservoir has reached its full tank level of 1091.00 ft. This is the highest inflow the repository has received since 2016, the official said.
“Since 2016 there was no water released to the Godavari. However, this year, since the reservoir is maintained under its full tank level, around 10 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic) of water is directly released to Yellampalli project each day,” Mr Ramarao added.
He further added that besides, there is a hydroelectric plant working at the dam site, with four turbines each with 9 MW capacities generating 36 MW.
Images of SRSP flood inflow from September and October
Satellite image source: Pradeep Goud Macharla,� Railroad Engineer, US
Satellite data source: #SAR Sentinel-1 Copernicus-EU
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Sriram Sagar reservoir, which serves the irrigational needs in Karimnagar, Warangal, Adilabad, Nalgonda and Khammam districts, is a lifeline of north Telangana. The tank also offers drinking water to Warangal.
Subha Rao, a former scientist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT), said, “SRSP, right from its inception, had problems in reaching 100% of its irrigation areas. Therefore, they developed groundwater initiatives under the same command area. Now the command area covered by the dam is also covered by the groundwater. This conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water is a kind of surface water mismanagement.”
Experts also suggest that there will be an expansion in the paddy field in command areas of the reservoir due to the recent inflow.
Subha Rao added, “This year since there is enough inflow we need to wait and see how it will improve the groundwater status in the command area. Also, the additional expansion of paddy fields under the command area is yet to be learned.”
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(Satellite image source: Pradeep Goud Macharla, a GIS and Remote Sensing enthusiast and Railroad Engineer, US
Satellite data source: #SAR Sentinel-1 Copernicus-EU)
