Nandyal: In a strong commitment to farmers’ welfare, Ministers B C Janardhan Reddy (Minister for Roads, Buildings, Infrastructure & Investments) and NMD Farooq (Minister for Law, Minority & Welfare) assured that every farmer cultivating crops in Nandyal district for the 2025–26 kharif season will be provided with adequate irrigation water. The assurance came during a high-level meeting of the District Irrigation Advisory Board (IAB), chaired by District Collector G Rajakumari, held at the PGRS Hall in the Nandyal Collectorate on Saturday.

The Ministers stated that, following the directions of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, water will be released from SRBC, KC Canal, and Telugu Ganga projects starting on Saturday midnight, as per farmers’ requirements. Detailed discussions were held on the irrigation schedule and water distribution across regions. The Ministers emphasised that farmers must avoid water wastage and shift towards cultivating seasonal crops suited to available water, instead of opting only for water-intensive paddy, to ensure sustainability from the current kharif season to the upcoming rabi season.

Highlighting the government’s proactive approach, the Ministers noted that this is the first time in 15 years that water is being released 20 days ahead of schedule, thanks to the foresight of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. They underlined the need for newly-appointed Water User Association members to monitor all irrigation-related activities to ensure water reaches even the tail-end ayacut farmers. Referring to leaders like former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, the Ministers recalled their historical efforts to bring ample water to the Rayalaseema region.

District Collector G Rajakumari directed irrigation officials to coordinate closely and address water-related grievances promptly. MLAs Bhuma Akhila Priya and others raised concerns about illegal ventures misusing irrigation lands and called for action under government norms. They also urged the recruitment of laskar staff to ensure smooth water distribution. The meeting was attended by ZP Chairman Errabothula Papireddy, MLAs, irrigation officials, Water User Association leaders and farmers from across

the district.