Fulfilling the promise of providing irrigation to some regions of Nalgonda for the Rabi (Yasangi) crop, Minister for Irrigation T. Harish Rao, and Energy and S.C. Development Minister G. Jagadish Reddy released water through the left canal at the Nagarjunasagar Project on Sunday. Through the left canal, 40 TMC water would be supplied to nearly 4 lakh-acre command area in an on and off operating mechanism. Zone 1 covers regions of Nalgonda and Suryapet, and Zone 2 Khammam, - the targeted command area.
Judicious use of the resource is the responsibility of the farmers, it should be ensured, he said.
The water release which didn’t happen in the last crop season owing to nil inflows into the project, farming in the ayacut was rain-fed and dependent on limited water supply to crops.
Coinciding with the 62 years of completion of the project’s Foundation Day, the Ministers garlanded the statue of Jawaharlal Nehru at the pylon, and headed to the equipment room.
Mr. Harish Rao, who was on a swift tour in the district, later inspected work and went on surprise checks taking stock of the canal work at Gundlapalli, Kodandaramapuram and Chennojugudem in the mandal. Visiting the Brahmanavellamla Reservoir work later in Narketpally mandal, he instructed the officials to stick to strict deadlines, so as to do a trial run of the pump house by Januray 15. And by February last week, the reservoir should be ready for water release, he told officers.
Expressing displeasure over delay in work execution by contractors, like lining works to fill tanks for ayacut irrigation, he said they should be expedited.