Heavy rains in the Rayalaseema region have created fresh enthusiasm among the farmers in the drought-prone districts.
The Department of Water Resources is exalted with water conservation efforts giving the desired results to some extent.
About 70 tmcft of water was available in minor irrigation tanks in the State as on Friday.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, while launching the ‘Neeru-Chettu’ programme, said the aim of the government was to supply water to every inch of land. He was talking of districts that were primarily rain-fed.
Mr. Naidu said the ‘Neeru-Chettu’ mission would be taken up with missionary zeal as he believed that water alone could bring prosperity to the farmers.
As part of this endeavour, the government registered 57,109 works that included minor irrigation tank repairs, check-dam construction, clearing of tank feeders (chancels, links and drains), excavation of farm ponds (five acres or more), desilting of drains and canals (major and medium), and development of cascades.
The government enumerated (registered) 57,109 such works and gave administration sanction to 38,153.
Despite cash crunch, 24,691 works have been completed (it includes the number of works in progress). The progress of works is being uploaded on to the Chief Minister’s Core Dashboard on real-time basis. Work to the tune of ₹20,082 crore was completed or was in progress.
The efforts paid off with water being collected in many of the minor irrigation tanks, said Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Water Resources Department K. Rajendra Prasad.
Out of the total 36,784 minor irrigation tanks in the State, 11,228 were totally full, 9,514 tanks 75% full, 6,020 tanks 50% full, and 5,718 tanks 25% full. The remaining 4,574 tanks were empty. There was 70 tmcft of water available in these tanks, Mr. Rajendra Prasad said.
The government also decided to geo-tag every structure for close monitoring of their progress and upkeep, he said.
