No chance for paddy under NS right canal this time too

Guntur: The state government  is  encouraging farmers under Nagarjunasagar right canal in Guntur and  Prakasam  districts to cultivate irrigated dry (ID) crops in rabi instead of paddy owing to water shortage. Keeping future drinking water  needs of people in mind, the  government  is encouraging  the farmers to cultivate ID  crops in the 7.5 lakh acre ayacut of Nagarjunasagar right canal.  

Currently, water level is at 542 feet in the Nagarjunasagar reservoir, which is unlikely to meet the demand for paddy crop in rabi. The government  has not released water for kharif for the right canal ayacut for the last three consecutive years due to deficit rainfall  and  lack  of  sufficient  water in  Nagarjunasagar reservoir.

The farmers cultivated chilli, cotton, pulses in the kharif. Deprived of paddy, farmers are suffering financial losses as prices of chilli fell from the peak of Rs 12,000 per quintal to Rs. 4,000 in recent times.

Guntur district agriculture joint director M Vijaya Bharati  said they were encouraging   farmers in the right canal ayacut in the district to cultivate ID crops. “We are  supplying Bengal gram seeds at 50 subsidy to farmers, black  gram and green gram seeds at 33 per cent subsidy.  There is no chance  of cultivating paddy in rabi in the Nagarjunasagar ayacut area in the district,” she said.

Nargarjunasagar Canals  superintending engineer T Ganga  Raju said the present water level in Nagarjunasagar reservoir would be needed to meet the drinking water needs of both Andhra Pradesh and  Telangana states till August or September. “Generally, consumption drinking water would increase in summer. We have to fill all the drinking water tanks to meet the water needs of the  people.

Taking drinking water  needs  of the people into  consideration, the government is encouraging the irrigated dry crops in the right canal ayacut area,” he said. A Sambasiva Rao, a farmer in Vinukonda in Guntur district said “If it is the case, then the government at least has to take steps to release water for Sagar ayacut in Guntur district for cultivating paddy in the next kharif. The farmers who cultivated chilli and cotton have  suffered heavy losses due to drastic fall in prices and are not in a  position  to recover soon.” 

By V L Syam Sundar