T'gana govt's 'Varuna Yagam' seeking bountiful rains begins at Nagarjuna Sagar in Nalgonda district

The Telangana government commenced a Varuna Yagam at Nagarjuna Sagar in Nalgonda district on Monday, aimed at securing abundant rains during the ongoing monsoon season. The ceremony, held on the banks of the Krishna river, was attended by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and his wife, who is also an MLA. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is scheduled to attend the concluding purnahuti of the yagam in the evening.

Eleven Homa Kundams have been established for the ritual, which is being performed by 108 Ritwiks. The ceremony, conducted by priests and Vedic scholars of the renowned Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadagirigutta, seeks the replenishment of reservoirs in the Krishna and Godavari river basins. The irrigation minister's office noted that Telangana's major rivers, Krishna and Godavari, are yet to receive inflows that would ensure adequate water availability in the reservoirs and irrigation systems.

As of August 9 last year, Nagarjuna Sagar had approximately 310.25 TMC of water, with the reservoir level at around 589.40 feet, nearing its Full Reservoir Level of 590 feet. This year, however, the reservoir has only 145.65 TMC, with the water level at 518 feet.