Nellore: Cyclone brings cheers to dryland farmers

Nellore : The Michaung Cyclone that had created havoc for the last three days, ultimately brought smiles on the faces of dryland farmers in the district.

It may be recalled that during the Irrigation Advisory Board (IAB) meeting held recently, the administration had proposed to release water to 2.25 lakh acres in Pennar Delta area due to insufficient water available in Somasila, Kandaleru, Sangam, Nellore and Kanigiri reservoirs.

Due to the heavy to very heavy rains, all mandals in the district registered rainfall, making all streams, rivulets, rainfed tanks to fill with water.

Somasila and Kandeleru reservoirs, which had dead storage level of 24 tmc ft and 14 tmc ft of water respectively a week ago, are now receiving considerable number of inflows, around 10 cusecs of water from catchment areas.

As per Meteorological department records, 13 mandals - Kandukuru, Alluru, Dagadarthi, Kavali, Atmakuru, Sangam, Marripadu, Vulavapadu, Ananthasagaram, Butchireddy Palem, Podalakuru, Kaluvaya and Rapuru - have registered an average of 11.44 mm (normal rainfall), while six mandals - Kodavaluru, Vidavaluru, Thotapalli Guduru, Kovuru, Nellore rural and Sydapuram – have received an average of 7.75 mm rainfall (normal rainfall).

As many as 14 mandals like AS Peta, Kaligiri, Atmakuru, Vinjamuru, Duthaluru, Oletivari Palem, Varikuntapadu, Seethrama Puram, Linga Samudram, Kondapuram, Bogolu, Udayagiri, Gudluru, Chejerla recorded an average of 35.98 mm rainfall (deficient rainfall). Only four mandals - Venkatachalam, Indukurupet, Manubolu and Nellore Urban – have registered an average rainfall of 2.99 mm from December 1 to 6 in the district.

Following all water bodies brimming with heavy flows, the proposal to release water to another 2.5 lakh acres to the current Rabi season brought cheer to the farmers, who are cultivating in dryland areas in the district.