KHAMMAM: The Bonakal Branch Canal (BBC) of the Nagarjunasagar Left Canal system developed a breach on Tuesday morning affecting water supply to ID ayacut in an area of 31,000 acres in Khammam and Krishna districts.

The volume of flow was some 800 cusecs when the breach occurred.

The entire flow was directed to the Wyra reservoir, thus avoiding wastage of water meant for the crucial wetting.

Left Canal superintending engineer Y. Rajendra Prasad said that the water supply to the branch canal was partially restored by putting up a temporary ring bund.

Restoration work

The canal would have water flow to its full capacity anytime by midnight or Wednesday morning. The breach work was attended on a war-footing.

He said that the breach occurred because of formation of a cavity at the bottom of the bank.

The branch canal was designed for supplying water to a wet ayacut of some 85,000 acres.

`No crop damage'

The department planned to give water for two days to the irrigated dry crops, especially maize spread over a limited area in the tail-end ayacut in Zone III of the canal system. The breach affected the supply. He assured maize farmers under the branch canal that they would be given water as per schedule at any cost. He explained that lands around the breach point were barren and hence there was no damage to any standing crop.

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