Water shortage is looming over the Godavari delta, thanks to dwindling inflows into the Godavari. The shortage has forced farmers to extend paddy transplantation to the first week of February.
Taskforce
Meanwhile, the district administration has introduced turn system to supply water to fields from February 1 and has constituted a taskforce of engineers from the Irrigation Department to monitor water supply. The West Godavari District Irrigation Advisory Board (IAB) has resolved to extend irrigation facilities to 4.50 lakh acres of paddy area.
According to M.V. Suryanarayana Raju, president of the Godavari Delta Pariraskhana Samiti, plantation will take place in one lakh acres owing to water shortage.
The problem is acute in the tail-end ayacuts of Narsapur Main canal, Kakaraparru and Mogalturu canals, he added. The western delta has been receiving 4,000 cusecs of water on a daily basis as against the requirement of 6,000 cusecs. Srinivas, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department, said the inflows at the Dhavaleswaram Barrage were recorded at 9,500 cusecs, according to the latest readings, and the water is to be distributed to the central, western and eastern delta regions spread over 10.5 lakh acres from the barrage.
The Sileru has been feeding the Godavari in an uninterrupted manner, but there has been a drop in inflows to Godavari this year, Mr. Srinivas said.
Godavari Delta Pariraskhana Samiti president M.V. Suryanarayana Raju says the problem is acute in the tail-end ayacuts of Narsapur Main canal, Kakaraparru and Mogalturu canals
