Krishna Water Released to Benefit 30 Lakh Delta Farmers

Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday released irrigation water from Prakasam Dam into the Krishna Delta, reaffirming its commitment to provide timely water supply to farmers in the upcoming kharif season.

Krishna district collector Lakshmisha, along with public representatives and irrigation officials, officially released 3,200 cusecs of water from the Krishna east main regulator into the eastern canal. Special prayers were offered to River Krishna before his release.

The initiative, which is a continuation of the recently held Eruvaka Pournami programme, will ensure timely irrigation of around 30 lakh farmers cultivating around 13.08 lakh acres under the Krishna Delta ayacut, the Collector said.

He said the government has completed canal cleaning and repair works under the chief minister’s Jaladhara-Jalaharathi initiative to ensure that water reaches even the ayacut areas at the tail end. Efforts were also being made to improve groundwater recharge and make agriculture more profitable by ensuring farmers receive enough water for their fields.

Alla Gopalakrishna Rao, president of the federation of state water users’ associations, said releasing water on July 1 in line with the irrigation schedule will help farmers complete paddy cultivation by July-end and reduce the risk of crop loss due to cyclones that usually occur in November.

Gopalakrishna Rao said that Rs 64 billion has been spent on cleaning canals and strengthening embankments in the Krishna delta under the operation and maintenance funds, while Rs 425 billion has been allocated for similar works across the state.

He said water in Pulichintala reservoir was being used efficiently. Godavari waters will be diverted through the Pattiseema lift irrigation project in July to prevent any famine in the Krishna delta.