Sagar farmers assured of water for kharif and rabi

KHAMMAM: Farmers of Nagarjunasagar left canal ayacut will be getting water for irrigation from August 16. This is the fourth consecutive year that they are to get water from the NSP left canal at the right time and will serve their requirements for kharif and rabi.

The Nagarjunasagar reservoir has reached its FRL and the irrigation department is ready to release water to the second and third zones. Interestingly, the officials allocated one tmc of water for tanks under Mission Kakatiya and check dams, which were under construction. Almost all the tanks and three reservoirs like Lankasagar, Palair and Wyra are in spate.

The State government is filling up all the tanks for drinking water purposes after the creation of Telangana State.

Even the old tank at Lakaram, which is being used just as groundwater charging, used to receive NSP left canal water for the last four years. It is planned to fill up 27 check dams, which were under construction with 0.412 tmc.

Farmers raising crops from 842 Mission Kakatiya tanks are set for relief as those tanks will get water from the NSP left canal if the water gets depleted. This can help stabilise 72,000 acres under these tanks.

The NSP left canal ayacut is spread over 16 mandals in Khammam district and the farmers are raising paddy in 2.57 lakh acres. The NSP ayacut farmers suffered losses from 2014 to 2017 due to lack of water in Nagarjunasagar reservoir. Irrigation officials had urged farmers not to raise paddy and go in for irrigated dry crops in those four years. The situation changed in 2018 and Nagarjunasagar reservoir has been receiving enough inflows ever since.

There is no scarcity problem for Bhakta Ramadas lift irrigation project and Palair channel with the availability of plenty of water in Palair reservoir.  A smilar robust situation prevails at Wyra reservoir, thanks to which farmers have started raising paddy.