Kharif irrigation: water release to Nizamsagar main canal commences
MLAs Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, T. Laxmikanth Rao release water to 1.3 lakh acres spread across 10 mandals of Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts for paddy transplantation
Despite not getting any fresh ows this water year commencing on June 1, water to the ayacut of Nizamsagar project was released to the 1.3 lakh acres under the main canal on Sunday for transplantation of paddy this Kharif season, making it the rst project to release water for irrigation this season.
Jukkal MLA Thota Laxmikanth Rao, Banswada MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Kamareddy Zilla Parishad chairperson Dafedar Shobha Raju, other elected representatives and irrigation authorities performed ‘pooja’ before lifting the regulator gates of the main canal near Atchampet village of Jukkal constituency.
Paddy nurseries
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Srinivas Reddy said the farmers under Nizamsagar would start raising paddy nurseries in ‘Rohini Karthi’ (in mid-May) itself and accordingly, its transplantation would be taken up rst under the project compared to other areas in the State. Even last year, water was released for the Kharif crop in June itself.
He stated that the project with 17.6 tmcft water storage capacity initially had 2.7 lakh acres ayacut but accumulation of silt in the reservoir had gradually reduced it. Now, it was serving 1.3 lakh acres ayacut till the Alisagar lift scheme.
The 1.3 lakh acres ayacut was spread across 10 mandals of Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts.
The need to release water was taken to the notice of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and he had agreed to it, Mr. Srinivas Reddy said adding that the project had 4.3 tmcft water now. Keeping aside the dead storage, 3.6 tmcft water could be released to canals. Even in the event of delay in fresh ows into the project, about 2 tmcft water could be drawn from Kondapochammasagar of
Kaleshwaram project.
In the rst phase, 1,400 cusecs would be released for 15 days for transplantation and later it would be released for 10 days a phase, when needed, and rains could also supplement the requirement. He appealed to farmers not to waste water and avail it judiciously.
He stated that judicious use during the last Rabi had saved water for this crop.