The ‘Mission Kakatiya’ programme is slowly, but steadily catching the fascination of scores of farmers here.
Apart from being eager to see the increase in water holding capacity of the tanks after restoration, they are also interested in transporting the silt being dug up from the tanks to their fields.
“This silt has more nutrients and is good for many commercial crops and vegetable growing,” said Daravath Venkanna, a tribal farmer, who wants to spill the silt in his four acres of agriculture land.
A progressive farmer, Venkanna, said it is heartening to see the village tank being restored, which never happened till now.
He added all the farmers in the village are happy and making a beeline to transport the silt to their fields.
“Even the villagers, who are not willing to take the silt, are coming here only to watch the tank being restored to its old glory,” he said with a face radiating joy.
Increases capacity
The Peddacheruvu, in Parvathagiri village here, is spread in an area of 180 acres and irrigates about 200 acres of agriculture land.
After the tank's restoration, it is expected to irrigate double the present ayacut.
As part of the ‘Mission Kakatiya’ programme, the tank is being dug up three feet deep to extract 50,000 cubic feet of silt.
Another farmer Sukhya said all farmers are eager to see their tank increase its water holding capacity.
“This is rare work, which is being conducted in the village. The result of this work can be witnessed only after the rainy season. We all know, this is most beneficial programme taken up by the State government,” he told The Hindu .
Good yield
According to Venkanna, the silt when mixed in the agriculture fields would give more yield, besides, it needs less labour and less input cost for cultivating various crops.
“This is very useful to crops like maize. It yields good produce and brings profit to the farmers,” he explained.
Environmental activist V. Gurunadha Rao said the ‘Mission Kakatiya’ programme started by the State government, has united all the farmers irrespective of their political ideologies.
