Mission Kakatiya, launched for restoration of tanks and water bodies in more than 25,000 habitations in Telangana state, has yielded results.
Groundwater levels have increased in many areas with the desilting of tanks taken up in the past one year.
This was revealed in a data collected by the state groundwater department and submitted to irrigation minister T Harish Rao.
In the regular analysis of the groundwater level data collected from 70 water basins in Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy and Mahbubnagar districts, it was found that the water levels have considerably increased in all the areas where the tanks were restored.
Though the state received poor monsoon, the restoration of tanks and other water bodies helped in increasing the ground water levels.
Officials explained to the irrigation minister that the rise in ground water levels would help address the drinking water crisis in at least some areas this summer.
Meanwhile, Harish Rao instructed officials to complete the phase-I works by March 31 and begin the second-phase works in April.
As many as 10,000 tanks will be revived in the second phase.
Source: The New Indian Express