El Niño Impact on Yeleru Reservoir, Farmers Wait for Water
Kakinada: The El Niño effect hit the Yeleru reservoir project as the dam could not be filled to capacity due to lack of rain.
Agriculture officials suggested that farmers choose alternative products instead of paddy this time due to water scarcity. However, the majority of farmers are interested in paddy cultivation.
It is noteworthy that the ayacut within the scope of the project spreads over an area of 60,000 decares. The first choice of the project is to provide drinking water to the city of Visakhapatnam, the steel plant and the local people, respectively.
According to officials, the project is entirely dependent on rainwater runoff from upstream streams and Pushkara and Purushothapatnam lift irrigation projects. However, since there was no rain, not enough water could reach the dam.
Project executive engineer Syam Prasad said that there was 8.65 tonnes of water in the dam, including dead storage. Of this, 420 cusecs were released into the left and right canals for drinking water purposes.
He felt the project could be filled if the water came from streams upriver.
However, agriculture officials warned farmers not to waste time with regular crops. Instead, the government is procuring 32 varieties of pulses and vegetables that can produce crops within 60 days.
Even if the farmer takes the water and goes to the paddy nurseries, it will take about 40 days to complete the planting. Meanwhile, pulses and alternative products can provide returns to farmers.
Former Pithapuram MLA SVSN Varma assured farmers at Yeleru reservoir ayacut to go to kharif without any confusion as the chief minister could help them with water for the project.
Godavari said water levels were increasing. Purushothapatnam lift irrigation scheme pumps will be made operational and water can be lifted to Yeleru dam soon. “The same situation arose during 2014-19 when Telugu Desam was in power, which aimed to standardize crops in one lakh acres,” he said.
“Then Chandrababu built Purushothapatnam LIS and provided water to Yeleru reservoir. Now a similar decision can be taken by the CM to provide water.”
However, he expressed doubts whether this would be possible for the Rabi season. “During 2019-24, the YSRC government set aside Purushothapatnam LIS and farmers were treated unfairly. Now farmers need not worry about water for their agricultural activities,” he said.
