Godavari waters may flow to canals for another 10 days

KAKINADA: In a clear relief to farmers as also to the villages and towns in east and west Godavari districts, waters of Godavari would likely be released to the canals for another 10 days.

A decision on this emerged after it was felt this would help both panchayats and towns to fill up their drinking water ponds and reservoirs.

According to the original schedule drawn up by officials, water flow into Godavari delta canals was to be stopped from April 1 in view of the Polavaram project works. The farmers had been told the canals would be closed from Thursday and they were worried their paddy crop would not get the required water.

Officials made hectic efforts to supply irrigated water to paddy fields for the second crop by adopting water management methods.

Meanwhile, the water levels were at 5.60 feet at Dowleswaram barrage with inflows of 6,640 cusecs from Sileru Reservoir on Wednesday. On Thursday, the water level was at 5.70 feet with inflows of 6,219 cusecs.

Irrigation officials said the inflows are being reduced from the Sileru reservoir and the water may be released to the canals till the natural inflows in Godavari continued.

Polavaram project officials may not block the water flows to the canal for another 10 days, as they do for purposes of feeding water for the project works, and the water will be directed as it is to the canals.

Meanwhile, rural water supply officials have been directed to fill all drinking water sources like reservoirs and ponds to their full capacity to meet the drinking water needs of the people. Already, East Godavari district cllector D Muralidhar Reddy and West Godavari collector Revu Muthyala Raju advised officials to take necessary steps for filling up the drinking water sources as per availability of water.