Handri-Neeva canal water rescues GBC ayacut farmers

Anantapur: Farmers under the Guntakal Branch Canal (GBC), most of them are tenant farmers, heaved a sigh of relief as the State government diverted water from Handri-Neeva canal to the GBC to save the commercial crops like chilli, cotton and Bengal gram.

The crops in the ayacut started withering away as GBC reservoir did not receive 100 tmcft of Tungabhadra water.

The inflow into the GBC reservoir did not exceed 57 tmcft for want of rains in the upper reaches of the reservoir.

Krishna River Water Management Board in a meeting imposed a cut in the water share to the tune of 24.5 tmcft.

The farmers pinned hopes on River Tungabhadra and raised cash crops in an extent of 25,000 acres under the GBC.

The canal went dry in November itself against the normal practice of supplying water till December. The farmers spent lakhs of rupees to raise the commercial crops in the ayacut land.

The tenant farmers pay a lease of Rs 30,000 per acre to raise the crops. They invest up to Rs 1 lakh per acre to raise the crops. If the yield is good, they will reap not less than Rs 1.5 lakh an acre.

The cumulative investment of the farmers in the ayacut lands was Rs 250 crore.

At a time when the crops were about to wither away, MLC Payyavula Keshav spoke to the government and got water released from the Handri-Neeva, a gesture appreciated by the farming community, breathing fresh lease of life into the crops.

Several farmers, including Jayaram, Ramesh and Hari of Velpumadugu, Gudekallu and Janardhanapalli respectively, said that the State government saved their standing crops.

Leaders from the district including Payyavula Keshav said there is good time ahead for the irrigation projects in Rayalaseema region with the launch of Machumarri lift irrigation scheme.

The fruits of irrigation development in the region would trickle down to the people in a year or two.

Even though, the River Tungabhadra has disappointed the farmers of the region but Handri-Neeva is coming to their rescue to save the standing crops from withering away, Payyavula said.

The State government’s interlinking of canals project came in good stead for farmers.

Drought can be wiped out permanently from Anantapur if the Handri-Neeva water is taken to other parts of the region as well.