▁and ▁la kes , ▁storing ▁ 2 6 5 ▁T MC ▁water ▁across ▁the ▁state ▁in ▁five ▁years . ▁This ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁program ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁Tel ang ana ▁after ▁coming ▁into ▁power ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁t anks ▁and ▁la kes ▁are ▁d ug ▁to ▁remove ▁s ilt ▁for ▁increasing ▁water ▁storage ▁capacity . ▁The ▁household ▁agricult ural ▁income ▁has ▁also ▁increased ▁by ▁ 7 8 . 5 0 % ▁in ▁the ▁tank ▁ay ac ut ▁area . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁agricult ure ▁was ▁sole ly ▁dep ended ▁on ▁the ▁t anks . ▁Until ▁the ▁N iz am ▁rule , ▁the ▁t anks ▁had ▁a ▁capacity ▁of ▁ 2 4 4 ▁T MC ▁in ▁Tel ang ana ▁region , ▁but ▁due ▁to ▁neg lig ence ▁most ▁of ▁it ▁was ▁lost . ▁The ▁ir rig ated ▁land ▁( ay ac ut ) ▁under ▁ 7 0 , 0 0 0 ▁t anks ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁was ▁around ▁ 2 5 ▁la kh ▁acres . ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁the ▁t anks ▁left ▁were ▁ 4 6 , 5 3 1 , ▁nearly ▁half ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁dry . ▁The ▁far mers ▁started ▁depending ▁on ▁water ▁well s ▁for ▁agricult ure . ▁When ▁the ▁water ▁table ▁de ple ted ▁the ▁well s ▁d ried ▁up , ▁far mers ▁started ▁dig ging ▁bore well s , ▁which ▁also ▁d ried ▁up ▁for ▁lack ▁ ▁of ▁Land ▁and ▁Gr