Water shortage hits farmers in Godavari western delta

• 3,500 cusecs is being supplied as against the required 7,600 cusecs
• Undi subdivision is badly hit as only 850 cusecs is being supplied against required 2,200 cusecs

Eluru: Godavari western delta farmers, who were wrecked by the untimely rains and cyclones in the kharif season, are hit by shortage of irrigation water to meet the rabi requirements. The situation is so frail that the farmers are cultivating the rabi crop with half the water that is required at this point of the season.

The capacity of canals in the western delta is 7,600 cusecs whereas for the last 15 days, the supply was just 3,500 cusecs, according to the statistics with the irrigation department. It should be noted that 90 per cent of water is being drawn from Sileru reservoir for the rabi crop.

In western delta’s tail end farmers are facing acute water shortage. In Undi sub-division, the farmers sowed in 1.40 lakh acres and the supply is only 850 cusecs. On a normal day, the Undi-Venkayya-Vayyeru canal supplies 2,200 cusecs, however, now it has come down to 850 cusecs, which is not enough to meet the requirements.

Speaking to The Hans India, Deputy Engineer of irrigation department M Venkateswara Rao said that the officials in Undi sub-division are using 100 motors to lift water to the crops. “This will supply an additional 100 cusecs. These motors are placed at Bondada major drain, Rudrayya Kodu and Chinakapavaram main drains to draw water.

However, the farmers in the tail-end lands of Bondada, Kalla, Cherukuvada, Elurupadu, Kallakuru are facing water shortage. The plan to supply water on rotation basis to prevent withering of the paddy crop is causing severe problems. Every main canal in this area will receive water on alternate days and the rotation will change every six days.

Due to this, if the canals aren’t completely full, when the water is supplied some farmers have to wait for as long as 12 days. However, the officials are stating that they are pulling out all stops to save the crops. “We have set up a separate transformer next to Bondada drain to lift the water to Undi canal and it will facilitate 24 hours lifting of water.

In 20 days we will full supply of water to save the crops,” Venkateswara Rao said. While the Undi distributory committee chairman T Phani Babu, Akiveedu distributory committee chairman T Venkateswara Rao admitted to shortage of water in the main canals they said that the problem was not un-surmountable.