Dry spell continues in rainy season

Kurnool: Dry spell is continuing in Kurnool district despite rainy season. Almost all projects in the district have reached dead storage. Drought situations prevail in Kurnool district with farmers and residents facing acute drinking and irrigation water problem.

Whatever the season, either rainy, summer or winter, residents of Gudikambali village in Kowthalam mandal of Mantralayam constituency, have to struggle to get even one pot of water as drinking water problem is a common phenomenon for them. Sources inform that there is only one water pipe to supply water to this village, which has around 1,700 residents.

Similar situation is prevailing in Pedda Tumbalam, Kuppagal, Ballekalu, Pandavagallu, Jalimanchi, Ganekallu and Isvi villages. The single summer storage tank in Kuppagallu, which supplies drinking water to these villages, is totally dried up, making the people to face acute drinking water problem. Apart from summer storage tanks, Tungabhadra Low Level Canal (LLC), Gajula Dinna Project, Guru Raghavendra Project, Krishna Giri, Pandikona and Pulikanuma Reservoirs also reached dead storage. Sunkesula Barrage, which has Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 292 meters (1.2 tmc ft), has 291.3 meters (0.954 tmc ft), but water was not released into River Tungabhadra and KC canal. Similarly, Tungabhadra Dam, which has FRL of 497.71 meters (105.788 tmc ft) has attained 1614.31 meters (46.8 tmc ft). Dam authorities have not yet released water to Tungabhadra Low Level Canal (LLC). Due to which several villages in Adoni and Yemmiganur mandals are facing acute drinking and irrigation water problems.

Irrigation works in Kodumur and Yemmiganur came to a standstill after Gajula Dinna Project reached dead storage. Crops cultivated at the first spell of rains are on the verge of withering. If there are no rains in a day or two, almost all the crops, except those cultivated under borewell, will wither.

Around 26 mandals in Kurnool district have received deficit rainfall. Mantralayam (-54), Kosigi (-59), Kowthalam (-49), Peddakadabur (-62), Yemmiganur (-71), Nandavaram (-70), C Belagal (-72), Gudur (-81), Kallur (-45), Kurnool Rural (-39), Orvakal (-82), Kodumur (-83), Gonegandla (-76), Adoni (-84), Holagunda (-85), Halaharvi (-64), Alur (-66), Aspari (-72), Devanakonda (-65), Krishnagiri (-68), Veldurthy (-77), Pathikonda (-66), Chippagiri (-84), Maddikerra east (-53), Tuggali (-59) and Kurnool urban (-35).

The district total rainfall till July 18 should be 2257.9 mm but received 823.6 mm, a deficit of -65 mm.