The State government will release 6,000 cusecs of water from the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram on the Godavari to begin Kharif operations in the eastern, central and western deltas of the river on June 1.
The decision has been taken in the wake of preparedness to begin the Kharif operations at least two weeks in advance compared to previous years. In recent years, the Kharif operations commenced from mid-June.
Godavari Head Works Executive Engineer (Dowleswaram) P.V. Tirupati Rao told The Hindu on Tuesday that Kharif operations can be commenced from early June in the Godavari delta. “We will release 6,000 cusecs of water from Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage on June 1 for the commencement of the Kharif operations, particularly for paddy cultivation in the Godavari delta. In eastern and central deltas, the total extent of area under paddy cultivation is above 2.25 lakh hectares in the Kharif season.”
“By June 1, nearly 4,000 cusecs of inflow will come only from the Sileru river. By mid-June, the inflow of water from the Godavari will begin given the status of the monsoon,” Mr. Tirupati Rao said.
On May 16, East Godavari Collector K. Madhavilatha and Konaseema Collector Himanshu Shukla expressed their preparedness for the early Kharif operations in the Godavari delta during a high-level meeting headed by Water Resources Minister A. Rambabu.
The Collectors have been told by the Minister to ensure timely availability of seed and other inputs to be supplied through the Rythu Bharosa Kendras. The Collectors have ensured necessary encouragement for direct sowing of paddy in the delta.
Meanwhile, the Collectors and Water Resources Department officials including Dowleswaram Head Works Division and agriculture department authorities would prepare an action plan for early Kharif during a meeting to be held in Rajamahendravaram on Wednesday.
