Nellore: 5.36L acres to get water from today

Nellore: The Irrigation Advisory Board on Wednesday planned to allocate water for 5.36 lakh acres in the district under first crop.

Minister for Water Resources Dr P Anil Kumar Yadav said that they would release water from Thursday onwards and also assured to complete pending projects.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Anil Kumar said that they would complete the first phase of Veligonda project by the end of next June and said the government would consider increasing the height of Vakadu barrage.

He said that 12 works were under progress in Gudur segment and would complete the Somasila link canal where 95 of works of a canal were completed.

Minister for Industries and IT M Goutham Reddy said that water conservation was the need of the hour.

Goutham Reddy said the officials have to complete Somasila North and South canals and fill local tanks for future needs. Stating that works related to 39 projects were pending in Atmakur constituency, he said works of Somasila high-level canal would be taken up on a priority basis.

MP Adala Prabhakar Reddy appealed to ministers to complete all pending irrigation projects started during the regime of former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. He also informed that the farmers have cultivated around 14,000 acres with only 1 tmc of water earlier and suggested to ministers to supply 20 tmc of water from Srisailam reservoir to Kandaleru.

He asked officials to focus on the allocation of water for the second crop.

Sarvepalli MLA Kakani Govardhan Reddy expressed his dissatisfaction over officials for not strengthening Sarvepalli reservoir to store additional water. He appealed to officials to invite tenders for repairs of Sarvepalli reservoir.

He said that officials would supply NLR-34449 for the season and stock adequate supplies for sowing operations. He asked to supply water to Kanupuru canal, Podalakuru, Manubolu areas under Kandaleru reservoir.

Venkatagiri MLA Anam Ramnarayana Reddy said that ministers have to coordinate with forest officials to get forest clearance for pending projects. He questioned how the officials prepare allocations without any knowledge on the needs of second crop. Local legislators and officials were present.