Even as the demand for reserving Singur water solely for irrigation purpose in both old Medak and Nizamabad districts is getting shriller, ayacut farmers are eagerly waiting for the release of water into Nizam Sagar Project.
As per G.O. 93 issued in 1990, if there is 17 tmc ft or more water in the Singur balancing reservoir, eight tmc ft has to be released into the NSP for irrigation purpose in the ayacut . However, water was released as per the G.O. for paddy transplantation on few occasions.
As there is sufficient quantity of water in Singur at present, farmers are hoping that water would be released into NSP, which has a storage of only one tmc ft, for paddy transplantation during the current kharif. Paddy, which is water-intensive, is being cultivated in over two lakh acres under the NSP ayacut, mostly in the erstwhile Nizamabad district.
According to Dathadri, the NSP Divisional Engineer, Banswada, it is too early to expect the release of Singur water into NSP as it is usually released when there is scanty rain.
Meanwhile, Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao is reported to have assured Agriculture Minister P. Srinivas Reddy of release of water from Singur soon when the latter spoke to him over phone in the presence of a group of farmers from Banswada a few days ago.
