Allaying the apprehensions of farmers coming under the Nagarjunsagar Right Bank canal system in Prakasam district, Transport Minister Sidda Raghava Rao on Tuesday made it clear that the standing irrigated dry crops would be saved at any cost.
After a telephonic conversation with Irrigation Minister D.Umamaheswara Rao, he said: “Farmers need not have any fears. An additional 2.5 tmcft of Krishna water will be released to Prakasam district,” he added after holding consultations with District Collector Sujata Sharma and other officials.
Farmers who have raised irrigated dry crop in over 2.71 lakh acres, needed 4 tmcft of Krishna water. They had so far received 1.8 tmcft of water from Nagarjunasagar and required another 2.2 tmcft to save the standing crop, explained Irrigation Superintending Engineer O.Sarada Devi.
The water release would be stepped up from 1,500 cusecs to 2,000 cusecs to ensure water in all the branch canals and then to the fields up to the tail-end, she added.
