Lack of Laskars Along Nagarjunasagar Right Main Canal Causing Concerns
Shortage of laskars leads to breaches, encroachments and poor water flow
Vijayawada: Absence of laskars for looking after the 207-km-long Nagarjunasagar Right Main Canal has become a cause of concern for Water Resources authorities in Andhra Pradesh. Laskars play a crucial role in regulating the flow of Krishna water, apart from maintenance and protection of the canal.
There is a need to optimise every drop of Krishna water being released from the Nagarjunasagar Dam into the Right Main Canal (RMC). AP and Telangana authorities are trading charges over usage of water beyond the permissible limits, whether for generation of hydroelectric power or cultivation of crops.
AP water resources authorities are helpless in this regard for want of laskars. They had made a proposal to the AP government for appointing 227 laskars on outsourcing basis for at least for six months in a year, as the regular staff members to look after the canal are inadequate. The government has not responded yet, though it is learnt to be keen on resolving the issue.
Lack of laskars is having its impact on the Nagarjunasagar RMC. Recently, the canal suffered a 100-feet breach on outskirts of the Karempudi village in Palnadu district. This happened because some villagers dug up the cross bund along the RMC across Naguleru Rivulet to divert the canal water into the rivulet for taking bath during a religious ritual.
There is also the issue of RMC lands being encroached by villagers along the canal for raising crops. In such cases, the width of the canal shrinks. Water is thus not flowing to the tail end areas, causing hardships to farmers.
Significantly, the command area under RMC is over 12 lakh acres in parts of Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla and Prakasam districts. The canal also supplies drinking water to the villages en route.
With water being inadequate, Water Resources authorities recently directed farmers to raise only irrigated dry crops like pulses as the second crop, instead of conventional crops like paddy, so that usage of available water could be optimised.
Given the circumstances, a senior official of the Water Resources department said, “There is an urgent need to appoint laskars on an outsourcing basis. They, along with engineers, play a key role in regulating water, operating sluices and protecting canals from breaches and encroachment of adjacent lands. Laskars are essential to ensure adequate irrigation and drinking water to all farmers and villagers dependent on the Nagarjunasagar Right Main Canal,” the official underlined.
