Kakinada: Canals in the Godavari delta have been reopened, releasing water for the first crop.
Officials had announced that the canals would remain closed until June 15, but water has been released 15 days earlier than expected.
Collector Karthikeya Misra says that water from Godavari river has been released to eastern, western and central deltas. He says 500 cusecs of water have been released to western delta; 200 cusecs of water have been released to central delta through the Gannavaram, Amalapuram and Bank Canals; and 200 cusecs of water have been released to the eastern delta through the Samalkot and Kakinada Canals.
He adds the Seleru waters are expected to reach the Godavari by June 5, after which all water will be released to the entire ayacut. Meanwhile, farmers of the Konaseema area are observing a crop holiday as a result of last year’s delay in the release of water.
They say that because the release of water was delayed, the first crop, and subsequently the second crop, were harvested later than usual.
Mutyala Srirama Nagendra Prasad (Jameel), state secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Morcha, says, “Twelve years back, the canals used to be opened by May 15, and farmers could cultivate three crops – two paddy crops and one alternative crop. But, the entire system has changed, and officials have started opening the canals on June 15. This has led to observation of crop holidays, and it causes farmers to incur great losses.”
He says that if the entire ayacut begins to receive water, then farmers may not have to observe a crop holiday. He says that the plantation of seedlings should ideally be completed by June 1 for farmers to be able to cultivate three crops a year.
