The Hindu : Crop holiday proposed in area under Jurala project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 10, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Crop holiday proposed in area under Jurala project

By D. Sreenivasulu

GADWAL (MAHABUBNAGAR DT) Oct. 9. The irrigation authorities proposed a crop holiday for the coming rabi season under the Jurala project canals to facilitate canal lining works. Officials are hopeful of supplying water to the total contemplated area of 1.02 lakh acres under the project in the Gadwal, Atmakur, Wanaparthy and Kollapur constituencies from the next kharif season.

This year water was being released for 60,000 acres under the Left and Right Bank canals. An extent of 30,000 acres was cultivated under each canal.

However, after stabilisation of the system, the right canal running to a length of 50.27 km irrigates 37,700 acres and the Left canal with a length of 85.23 km provides irrigation to 64,500 acres.

At present, the Right bank canal was drawing 450 cusecs as against the capacity of 750 cusecs and the Left canal 600 cusecs as against the full supply of 1,400 cusecs. The Superintending Engineer, T. Srinivasa Rao, has said lining of the canals would help save 30 per cent water.

Meanwhile, the irrigation authorities have been grappling with the non-cooperation from farmers over the cropping pattern. The project was intended to supply water for irrigated dry crops on 1.02 lakh acres during the rabi and kharif seasons. Only 10 per cent of the area, especially low-lying pockets, was expected to be used for cultivation of paddy.

But the ground reality was that 90 per cent of farmers under both canals developed their lands suitable for paddy cultivation and only 10 per cent of area in elevated stretches was reserved for irrigated dry crops.

Assured returns, stable prices and good market encouraged many farmers to go for paddy cultivation. The tendency had upset the programme of the Irrigation Department which had to rework the water allotment. With every tmcft of water 5,000 acres of paddy can be cultivated during the kharif season while 10,000 acres of ID crops can be irrigated with the same amount of water.

The barrage has a stocking capacity of 11.2 tmcft but only six tmcft was being stored now to avoid submerging of areas, which are yet to be acquired formally. The project, which cost Rs. 650 crores, was allotted 17.84 tmcft.

Of it, 14 tmcft was earmarked for irrigation, 0.2 tmcft for drinking water needs and three tmcft reserved for evaporation losses.

The Jurala Right canal was proposed to supplement water to the tail-end areas under the RDS canal in the Alampur constituency. The Right Bank canal which ends at 50th km is extended by six kilometres to connect to the RDS canal near Jallapuram Cross Road. The linking works would cost Rs. 18 crores since the RDS canal is more elevated than the Jurala canal.

The depth of the RDS canal is being increased to match the level of the Jurala. After completion of regradation work, the canal is likely to supplement irrigation on 30,000 acres.

Meanwhile, the agencies for execution of power generation units at Jurala are likely to be fixed soon.

The Jurala Hydro Electric Project is intended to generate 234 MW for six months in a year. The power generation project will cost Rs. 600 crores.

Flood monitoring at the Jurala barrage is a crucial aspect because the project has to handle a flood discharge of over 400 tmcft in a year.

The barrage with 62 gates designed to discharge 12.5 lakh cusecs of flood. The highest flood discharge so far recorded was 6.5 lakh cusecs.

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