Krishna Delta farmers demanded the State Government release of water from Nagarjuna Sagar Dam as soon as the water level crosses 510 feet, the minimum drawdown level (MDDL), and not wait for the court hearing that has been adjourned to September 10.
Krishna Delta farmers from Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts, on Monday, gathered at Avanigadda, the heart of Krishna Delta, to express solidarity with former Minister Mandali Buddha Prasad’s “deeksha” demanding the release of water from Nagarjuna Sagar for the standing crop in these four districts.
Show of solidarity
Communist Party of India leader and All India Kisan Sabha vice-president Kolli Nageswara Rao visited the “deeksha” camp and expressed his solidarity with the agitation of the delta farmers.
Mr. Buddha Prasad said that the court had adjourned the hearing for vacation of stay on the release of water from Nagarjuna Sagar to September 10, but the farmers want water to be released the day the level crossed the MDDL.
The water level in Nagarjuna Sagar according to the State Government’s Reservoir Storage Monitoring System (RSMS) on Monday morning was 509.8 ft and dam was receiving an inflow of 2,860 cusecs. There was a chance of the inflow increasing even further because 26,800 cusecs are being released from Tungabhadra to the Srisailam Dam. Similarly, the discharge from Almatti is around 17,900 cusecs. Most of this water was likely to find its way into Srisailam because both Narayanapur and Jurala dams located en route are filled up to the brim. The water from Almatti and Tungabhadra (a tributary) go to Srisailam.
These discharges from Almatti and Tungabhadra are, however, seen as “a trickle” from irrigation perspective and it will take a few days for them to reach Nagarjuna Sagar.
Fortunately for farmers of Krishna District the inflows at Prakasam Barrage, the point from where water gets distributed by canals, was 10,500 cusecs on Monday morning. The Vijayawada Irrigation Circle Authorities sent all water into the Krishna Delta Canals. The authorities released 6,540 cusecs into Krishna Eastern Main Canal, 3,700 cusecs into Guntur Channel and 200 cusecs to the Lift Irrigation Schemes.
Even as there is sufficient water for the day, the farmers are uncertain about from where to get the water to complete the Kharif season.
