Rabi : Uttam Directs Officials To Ensure Crops In Last Stage Get Extended Wetting

In a series of emergency review meetings held on Sunday, Uttam Kumar Reddy also made it clear that chief engineers would be directly responsible for using whatever water was available in the most optimum manner. He laid down two clear priorities: Ensure no standing crop dries up; and protect remaining water reserves for drinking water needs. He also stressed the importance of launching a comprehensive drive for desiltation and desedimentation of tanks and reservoirs.

Under the Nagarjunasagar left canal, crops in its 6.3 lakh acre ayacut were extended irrigation support so far. Much of the harvest operation is over, Uttam Kumar Reddy noted. “Wherever crops are in need of wetting, irrigation should be provided without fail,” he declared and ordered officials to fill all the tanks to meet the drinking water needs before the canals are closed for the season.

He directed the officials to complete the repairs on the Jurala project on war footing. The project storage stands at 1.66 tmc ft, with an estimated 0.5 tmc ft from Narayanpur regenerated water expected to add to the project level. A potential 0.5 tmc ft shortfall was likely if flows do not arrive in time, said officials. One TMC of water was arranged from Karnataka last year.

Uttam Kumar Reddy directed the officials to ensure that all irrigation sources are opened up for desiltation. He directed officials to prepare proposals with preliminary feasibility data immediately for tanks and projects. Wherever public access is possible, he wanted the silt removed during desilting to be made available to farmers free for use as natural fertilizer to enrich their soils in their lands. Where public access may not be feasible, he instructed officials to submit detailed proposals within two days for undertaking desilting works departmentally.