: People living in Palnadu region in Guntur and Prakasam districts under Nagarjunasagar Project Right Canal ayacut got a breather after the irrigation authorities began releasing water into the NSP Right Canal on Wednesday morning.
“We began releasing 1,500 cusecs to Buggavagu and will step up the releases to 2,000 cusecs by Thursday morning. Water will be reaching Buggavagu by Wednesday night. The NSP water releases will touch 6,000 Cusecs which will be sufficient to meet the water needs of Narsaraopet, Vinukonda, Chilakaluripet and other towns,’’ Superintendent Engineer, NSP canals, M.V. Krishna Rao, told The Hindu on Wednesday. But the irrigation authorities said that they would ensure that water would not be allowed to drawn until it reaches Ongole town.
“We want to make optimum utilisation of available water resources. The total quantum of water available in Krishna River Basin is at an all-time low of 66 tmcft We have a balance of 30 tmcft still left in Nagarjunasagar but it will be an extremely difficult situation in summer,’’ said Mr. Krishna Rao.
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The decision to release water into NSP Right Canal was taken following a telephonic talk by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu with the Chairman, Krishna Board on Tuesday night. Andhra Pradesh is supposed to get 4.5 tmcft Krishna water but the delay in water release from NSP Right Canal has compounded the acute water crisis in Guntur and Prakasam districts.
“We began releasing 1,500 cusecs to Buggavagu and will step up the releases to 2,000 cusecs by Thursday morning.
M.V. Krishna Rao
Superintendent Engineer,
NSP canals