In a unique blend of traditional faith and modern water management concerns, the Telangana government will conduct a grand Varuna Yagam at Nagarjunasagar on Monday, seeking abundant rainfall across the Krishna and Godavari river basins to ensure water security for the State.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is scheduled to participate in the special Vedic ritual, while Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy will lead the programme. The event will be held at the Vijay Vihar premises in Nagarjunasagar, where 108 priests and Vedic scholars will perform elaborate rituals around 11 homa kundams throughout the day.

The yagam comes at a crucial time for Telangana. Although the southwest monsoon has crossed the halfway mark, inflows into the Krishna and Godavari river systems remain below expectations. Authorities point out that Telangana’s water security depends not only on rainfall within the State but also on precipitation in the upper catchment areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka, which contribute a major share of flows into both river basins.

Officials said the ritual is being conducted with the collective prayer that reservoirs, tanks and rivers receive adequate inflows, groundwater levels improve, and farmers are assured sufficient irrigation water during the ongoing agricultural season.

Current reservoir figures underline the concern. Nagarjunasagar, which has a gross storage capacity of 312.045 TMC, currently holds only 145.65 TMC of water, leaving 166.39 TMC of vacant storage. The reservoir level stands at about 518 feet, significantly below its full reservoir level of 590 feet. On the same date last year, the project held around 310.25 TMC, almost reaching full capacity.

At the same time, inflows in the Krishna basin are gradually improving. Almatti is receiving over 1.05 lakh cusecs of inflow, while releases continue downstream through Narayanpur, Jurala and Srisailam. However, irrigation experts maintain that sustained rainfall across upstream regions is essential for ensuring steady river flows and filling major reservoirs.

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government’s objective is clear: to secure abundant rainfall, healthy river flows, full reservoirs and prosperity for Telangana’s farming community. While scientific monitoring of rainfall and reservoir levels continues, the Varuna Yagam symbolises a collective appeal for nature’s support in safeguarding the State’s water resources.

Published - August 09, 2026 08:45 pm IST