The Telangana government will conduct a six-month water conservation programme from January to June 2027, covering every village and combining restoration of local water resources with rural employment, Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said at a review meeting in Hyderabad.
The programme is being planned in response to the anticipated impact of El Nino conditions. The irrigation and panchayat raj departments will jointly prepare a comprehensive action plan before the next monsoon, according to the minister’s review of the proposed initiative.
The programme will primarily mobilise villagers, including agricultural labourers, through the employment guarantee framework. The existing 60:40 funding arrangement will be supplemented with additional state funds wherever required, the government said.
Officials have identified 355 categories of works for possible implementation. The principal focus will be the restoration of existing water sources, including minor irrigation tanks, village ponds, feeder channels and canals. The plan also includes the rejuvenation of traditional water-harvesting structures.
The proposed works will cover repairs to damaged sluice gates and tank infrastructure, along with the removal of silt and vegetation. These measures are intended to increase water-storage capacity in local water bodies. The programme will also create field channels through convergence between the irrigation and rural development departments, with the stated aim of improving the use of existing irrigation facilities and supporting agricultural productivity.
The government also plans to construct check dams across smaller rivers, streams and local watercourses. These structures are intended to slow water run-off, support groundwater recharge and improve local water availability. The plan therefore combines repairs to existing assets with new interventions designed to retain more water within village catchments.
Reddy said the El Nino situation should be converted into an opportunity to create durable water assets, strengthen irrigation infrastructure and improve groundwater availability. He called for an integrated approach involving irrigation, rural development, groundwater, energy and other departments.
The proposed implementation framework places village-level water infrastructure within a wider administrative arrangement. While the irrigation and panchayat raj departments will prepare the action plan, the programme is expected to require coordination across departments responsible for rural development, groundwater and energy. The funding arrangement will also determine how the identified works are prioritised and completed.
The minister directed officials to study groundwater-recharge initiatives in Rajasthan and Maharashtra and identify practices that could be replicated in Telangana. The state government’s next stated step is to complete the comprehensive action plan before the next monsoon, ahead of the January-to-June implementation period.
