Rajahmundry: Paddy farmers assured of water for 71 per cent of area

Rajahmundry: Water resources authorities on Wednesday assured farmers of adequate water supply for cultivation of paddy during the ensuing rabi season to cover at least 71 per cent of the targeted area spread over 8.96 lakh acres with the available 66 tmc ft of water in Godavari river in twin districts of Godavari.
At a meeting here, water resources superintending engineer N. Rambabu said they wo-uld take necessary steps to ensure supply of water in the targeted area for the benefit of the farmers. With the availability of water in the river, he said it would be possible to supply water to cover 71 per cent of the targeted area, addi-ng that they intend to supply water to all the areas. For that, he said, it would require 83 tmc ft of water in the river.

Explaining the measures needed to ensure proper supply of water to targeted area, the SE said they would try to optimise use of water for cultivation especially of paddy crop after allocating nearly eight tmc ft of water for drinking water to the people in the villages. To avoid shortage of water for a second crop, he said cross-bunds would be set up while fuel will be supplied to farmers for running oil engines to lift water.

Eastern delta project committee chairman Bhupatiraju Eeswar Raju Varma appealed to the water resources authorities to make all efforts to supply water to cultivate paddy in all targeted area and said that if the farmers could cooperate with the authorities in optimum usage of water, it could help enhance paddy production. He asked the officials to initiate steps to help take up discussion on several decisions taken at the meeting on Wednesday at the scheduled meeting to be held on October 23 at the district level. He also asked the officials to release money for pending bills of several works taken up earlier for supply of water.