A high-level meeting of the Irrigation Advisory Board, attended by Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, here decided to release water for 3 lakh acres this kharif season despite inadequate water levels in Somasila, Kandaleru and other reservoirs in the district.
The meeting sought cooperation from farmers and asked them to go for short-duration crops requiring less water so that the available water could be used to meet the requirements of all the ayacut.
Despite the heavy rains during the recent Nilam cyclone, Nellore district received a deficit rainfall of 27 mm less than normal mainly because of the two-week dry spell after the super storm. The existing levels are 33.26 tmc in Somasila, 1.615 tmc in Kanigiri reservoir, 20.17 tmc in Kandaleru and 0.39 tmc in Sarvepalli reservoir.
The Irrigation Advisory Board set aside 8 tmc water for meeting drinking water, dead storage and evaporation requirements. The allotment would have to be made from the remaining 24.50 tmc and it was decided to cover 12,000 acres with 1 tmc water.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ramanarayana Reddy and district Collector B. Sridhar pointed out that expected rainfall was not received in the Nilam cyclone while the monsoon expectations were also not fulfilled considering the deficit rainfall this kharif season. N
ot enough inflows were received in the catchment areas of Somasila, Kandaleru and other reservoirs.
The position of small and medium irrigation tanks was also the same with only 20 to 30 per cent tanks getting totally filled, while 80 per cent of them receiving just 50 per cent water.
In view of the demand from farmers, water will be released through the Somasila North and South feeder canals and simultaneously through Kanupuru and Kavali canals. This is to meet the irrigation requirements in upland areas.
Gudur MLA Balli Durga Prasad, Udayagiri MLA Mekapati Chandrasekhara Reddy, Kavali MLA Beeda Mastan Rao and others said that water should be released to help farmers who already went for nurseries.
