The Telangana Government has taken up Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhageeratha programmes to reduce the quantity of water flowing waste into the sea during floods and results are visible already, Minister for Irrigation T. Harish Rao said.
Speaking at round-table meeting on the theme — water conversation – social responsibility — organised jointly by the Irrigation Department and Walk for Water organisation here on Sunday, he explained that restoration of minor irrigation tanks under Mission Kakatiya programme had helped bring 15.5 lakh acres across the state under irrigation so far.
The irrigation potential of tanks restored under the first two phases of Mission Kakatiya had increased by over 5 lakh acres. Further, the programme to revive tanks and water bodies had also helped improve groundwater table considerably this year, the Minister noted.
Minor irrigation
The application of silt from the tank beds in the farmers’ fields had not only reduced the use of fertiliser and pesticides but also improved yield and production, Mr. Harish Rao said. He also attributed the success of the first two phases of the tanks restoration programmes to good rains in 2016.
As many minor irrigation tanks across the State have good quantity of water stored even now the government would focus on restoration of feeder channels to ensure flow of more rainwater into them in the coming year, the Minister said.
Green cover
On the other hand the government was focusing on improving the green cover to at least 30 per cent of the State’s geographical area with plans to plant 240 crore saplings till 2019. This would help improve the overall precipitation and complement the ongoing project to improve the irrigation potential of the tanks and water bodies.
Social pressure
Referring to the ongoing cases against the land acquisition for some major irrigation projects, the Irrigation Minister stressed the need to bring social pressure on the forces which were creating hurdles in the execution of irrigation projects with the help of some legislations. The resulting delay of projects was causing cost escalation and thereby a drain on exchequer.
He wanted a debate on the issue at the national level.
Chairman of Telangana Water Resources Development Corporation V. Prakash, MPs B. Narsaiah Goud, B.B. Patil, convenor of Walk for Water M. Karunakar Reddy, Officer on Special Duty Sridhar Rao Deshpande and others spoke.
