To address siltation, the state government has launched a pilot desiltation project in the Kadam reservoir in Nirmal district, alongside two other reservoirs in the state. Although tenders have been finalised, work is yet to begin—raising anxiety among farmers as the summer advances.
Local farmers, including Ramesh and Vittal from Kadam mandal, stressed the urgency: “If desiltation is completed before the monsoon, the reservoir can be filled to capacity, ensuring a good Rabi crop. Otherwise, we’ll have to wait another year.”
Authorities plan to process the removed silt by separating it into commercial-grade sand and fertile soil, with the latter to be distributed to farmlands. A 100 acre site has been earmarked—20 acres for processing and 80 acres for storage.
While the price per tonne for desiltation has been fixed, actual work is yet to start.
Meanwhile, smaller irrigation systems such as the Sathnala, Mathadivagu, and Kumurambheem projects are also reporting rapidly falling water levels.
Many rivers and lakes in the region have already dried up, compounding the crisis.
