Harish taps AP govt on Pulichintala woes

Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao on Monday requested the AP government to take immediate action to ensure the MDDL (Minimum Draw Down Level) at KL Rao Sagar Pulichintala Project to protect the standing crops under the lift irrigation schemes in the foreshore areas of the project.

In a letter to D Uma Maheshwara Rao, AP Water Resources Development Minister, Harish Rao brought to the notice of his counterpart that due to continuous discharge of water from the project, standing crops under 8 lift irrigation schemes will be deprived of water in Nalgonda.

As a result crops in about 16,000 acres face the threat of drying up if the same situation continues for another two weeks. The lifts under this project which supply water to lands in TS cannot be operated if water levels were not maintained up to the crest level.

Harish said that the farmers under the lift projects are very much distressed and agitated to save their standing crops. They also have been demanding to maintain MDDL in Pulichintala reservoir. The minister warned that the farming community may go to any extent to retrieve their lands taken for the construction of the project if their demand is not fulfilled.