Govt decides to release Nagarjunasagar water in phases

​Hyderabad: The opening of six crest gates at Srisailam reservoir on Saturday brought cheers to farmers, who have waited for water for their kharif crops. Nagarjunasagar project is receiving heavy inflows since morning and the water storage has increased to 170 tmcft out of 312 tmcft capacity. The inflow into Nagarjunasagar project is 65,000 cusecs and the outflow is 9,000 cusecs.

Officials said that the State government has initiated measures to utilise the water from Nagarjunasagar left bank canal for irrigation purpose. For the optimum utilisation of water, the State Irrigation Department has introduced “on and off water release system” during the kharif season for the first time.

Abandoning the traditional practice of supplying round-the- clock water supply, farmers will get water for their paddy crop at a scheduled time only. As the “on and off water supply system” taken up on pilot basis during the last Rabi yielded good results, the new system is being implemented during the current season.

Officials said that a meeting has been called with Telangana Rythu Samanavaya Samithis to finalise the action plan for the on and off water releasing system in Nalgonda and Khammam districts under left bank canal. Under the new system, the paddy yield per acre has increased to 50 quintals from 40 quintals.

The on and off system helped judicious utilisation of available water during the agriculture seasons. Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao has already instructed the officials to inform the farmers the schedule of water release and help them to make arrangements. As many as 1.02 lakh acres under seven medium project in Krishna basin will also get water during the kharif season.