Kurnool: The copious rains brought respite to the drought-hit Rayalaseema region. But the abundant water that has flown on to the fields, from the tanks, canals and rivulets could not be harnessed to the fullest extent. This is the main refrain of farmers and agriculture labourers in Kadapa district.
The YSR Congress party agriculture task force president M.V. Nagi Reddy said that there is an urgent need to take up minor irrigation tank repairs, check dam construction, clearing of tank feeders including drains and links, excavation of farm ponds, desilting of drains and canals. Development of cascades was widely believed to be able to bring good dividends to the farmers.
It is pertinent to mention that Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao has said that over 41,000 minor irrigation and panchayat raj tanks will be de-silted and developed to save every drop of rain water and recharge the groundwater in the next four months under ‘Neeru Chettu’ programme launched on February 19.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced Rs 25,000 crore would be spent in the next four years to complete all ongoing irrigation projects including Hundri Niva, Gandikota and Pothireddypadu projects.
Recent rains have improved ground water level across Rayalaseema region. But repairs to many tanks and minor irrigation works remain unfinished. This had made Rayalaseema look for policy clarity from government.
However, the recent downpour has a positive factor in Rayalaseema districts, said Bojja Dasarath Reddy, president of Saguneeti Sadhana Samithi. He said that the government never made any concrete plans to get structures ready to hold flood water.
He was referring to Gandikota, Gorakallu, Handri, Sunkesula and Gundrevula reservoirs. He said that we have been just made passive observers to copious waters going down the drain without having any mechanism to store it for a future harvest. There could have been a method of stopping this waste
The Neeru-Pragathi programme, meanwhile is expected to come handy in harnessing bountiful rains in rural irrigation. Out of the total 36,784 minor irrigation tanks in the state 11,228 were full while 9,514 were 75 per cent full, 6,020 50 per cent full and 5728 tanks 25 per cent full.
The remaining 4,574 tanks were empty. There was 70 tmcft of water available in these tanks, said minor irrigation engineer Srinivas Reddy.
On the question of funding to the irrigation repairs, Irrigation Development Corporation Chairman K.E. Prabhakar said that water resource projects are planned, funded, executed and maintained by the State governments themselves as per their own resources and priorities.
In order to supplement the efforts of the State governments, Government of India provides technical and financial assistance to State governments to encourage sustainable development and efficient management of water resources.
This is achieved through through various schemes and programmes such as Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) and scheme for Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of water bodies, he added. They come in handy.
