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Poor tanks upkeep spurs dip in acreage.
Sheer negligence in the maintenance of tanks, which have been one of the main sources for irrigation, has resulted in steep decline in the total acreage under tank irrigation.
​Hyderabad: Sheer negligence in the maintenance of tanks, which have been one of the main sources for irrigation, has resulted in steep decline in the total acreage under tank irrigation.
In fact, it has reached an all time low in 2015 when compared with previous five years. Apparently, the irrigated area under tanks has also come down to half the acreage achieved in 2015 when compared with 2014.
Last year, the net irrigated area under tanks was 96,780 hectares as against 2.28 lakh hectares in 2014. The highest irrigated area under the tanks i.e. 2.34 lakh hectares was recorded in 2011.
Irrigation department sources said deficit rainfall, ongoing tank restoration works under Mission Kakatiya, drying up of water bodies due to poor inflows from canals and official apathy have been identified as some of the main reasons for the reduced net irrigated area.
While, Khammam ranks top with an acreage of 33,383 hectares under tank irrigation, it is followed by Karimnagar (18,451 hectares), Warangal (17,616 hectares), Nalgonda (12,805 hectares), Adilabad (8,331 hectares), Mahbubnagar (3,727 hectares), Medak (1,481 hectares), Nizamabad (498 hectares).
While in Rangareddy the total irrigated area under tanks was 488 hectares, in Hyderabad it was zero.
The net area irrigated in the State in 2015 was down to 17.26 lakh hectares from 22.80 lakh hectares in 2014 (showing a decrease of 24.27 per cent).
Officials said irrigation under canals, tube wells and dug wells had also gone down due to fast depleting water sources. Tube and dug wells alone contributed to nearly 70 per cent of water for irrigation needs.
The net area irrigated under tube and dug wells were 14.13 lakh hectares as against 17.10 lakh hectares in 2014.
Under canal, the total irrigated area was 1.74 lakh hectares. During the previous year, it was 2.89 lakh hectares. The irrigated area from other sources was 42,000 hectares.
Officials hoped that the State government’s efforts to revive tanks would bring out positive results as the State has been receiving copious rains under the influence of southwest monsoons this year.
Arrangements are being made to increase the acreage under tank irrigation at every village level and encourage farmers to take up farming activity and make agriculture a profitable profession in the future.
By: Patan Afzal Babu
