Krishna delta farmers to receive Godavari water soon

 Rajamahendravaram/ Vijayawada :Good news for Krishna delta farmers as the Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Ramanaidu released the Godavari water to Krishna delta through Pattiseema lift irrigation project.

The Minister along with other MLAs and officials performed special puja and released the water for the Krishna delta. The Krishna delta has ayacut area of over 13 lakh acres spread over erstwhile Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts.

The Krishna delta needs around 150 tmcft water for the kharif season. Irrigation water from Krishna river and Godavari will be supplied to the farmers. Krishna river water is being released from Nagarjuna Sagar, Pulichintala and Prakasam barrages.

Godavari water will be diverted to Krishna delta with lift irrigation projects built at Pattiseema. The Prakasam barrage receives Godavari waters at Pavitra Sangamam at Ibrahimpatnam in NTR district.

The TDP government after bifurcation of the State constructed the Pattiseema Lift irrigation project to divert the Godavari waters to Krishna delta and this proved beneficial to lakhs of farmers of Krishna delta region.

NTR district water resources department superintending Engineer TGH Prasadababu told The Hans India that it will take one week for the Godavari waters from Pattiseema to reach Pavitra Sangamam located near Ibrahimpatnam. He said last year, 40 tmcft water arrived from Pattiseema lift irrigation project to Krishna Delta. He said 8,500 cusecs of water was released from Pattiseema by Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Ramanaidu.

The Water Resources Department was able to supply 117 tmcft water during the last kharif season to Krishna delta due to less rainfall and lesser water avaialability in reservoirs like Nagarjuna Sagar, Srisailam and Pulichintala.

The delta region needs not less than 150 tmcft water for kharif season. Reservoirs on Krishna river like Nagarjuna Sagar, Srisailam, Jurala and Pulichintala gets floodwater from August onwards. Till then, the Krishna delta farmers have to depend on rains.

Keeping in view the problems of farmers of Krishna delta, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu constructed the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation project to divert the Godavari river waters to Krishna delta following the State bifurcation.

Godavari river gets floodwater early compared to the Krishna river and the water is diverted to Krishna delta. Minister Ramanaidu said on Wednesday that Pattiseema is the Bangaaru Seema and the TDP government gives top priority for irrigation projects which cater to irrigation and drinking water needs. He recalled that YSRCP chief and former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy mocked the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation scheme and totally neglected it.