Rayadurg: To meet the irrigation requirements of farmers under the Bhairavani Tippa Project (BTP), water was released into the right and left canals on Sunday following special prayers at the BTP reservoir.

The release was carried out in the presence of Government Whip and Rayadurg MLA Kalava Srinivasulu.

With the release, irrigation water has been made available to nearly 5,000 acres out of the total 12,000-acre ayacut under the BTP command area. Officials said the move would significantly benefit farmers during the ongoing Rabi season, enabling timely cultivation and improved crop prospects.

Due to heavy rainfall in Karnataka, around 5 TMC of water flowed into the Bhairavani Tippa reservoir. However, as the BTP project has a storage capacity of only 2 TMC, surplus water had to be released downstream to ensure reservoir safety.

Addressing farmers on the occasion, the MLA urged those cultivating lands under the right and left canals of the Bhairavani Tippa and BTP projects to use irrigation water judiciously to maximise crop yields and ensure equitable distribution across the ayacut.

The water release is expected to provide much-needed relief to farmers who have been awaiting assured irrigation for the Rabi season. Local irrigation officials and farmers were present during the programme, which was conducted smoothly under official supervision.