The Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canals Distributory Committee No. 29 has urged the State government to release water from the Left canal up to March 31 to save irrigated dry (ID) crops.
NSLC Project Committee chairman Alla Venkata Gopala Krishna Rao said there was an ayacut of 2.36 lakh acre under Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal in Krishna district. The farmers were cultivating chilli, maize, tobacco, pulses, mango, and other ID crops in Mylavaram, Nuzvid, Gannavaram, and Nandigama constituencies. There was a possibility of withering away of crops if the government did not release water up to March 31, he said.
About 220 tmcft water at 517 feet level in Nagarjuna Sagar and 86 tmcft water in Srisailam was there. There were instances that the government released water even when the water level touched 490 feet.
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Hence, water should be released to third zone up to March 31, he said.