Nellore Officials Alert As District’s Second Paddy Crop Reaches Critical Stage
The administration is targeting to irrigate 3.22 lakh acres of the second crop using water from the Somasila project. Officials have reviewed storage levels in the Somasila and Kandaleru reservoirs, requirement of water and supply to delta and non-delta areas.
NELLORE: With the second paddy crop entering the crucial grain-formation stage, Nellore district administration has stepped up its water management efforts. Addressing a meeting of the Irrigation Advisory Board (IAB) at the Nellore collectorate on Wednesday, Endowments minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said the next 30 days would be critical. He directed irrigation officials to ensure that water reaches tail-end fields without wastage.
The administration is targeting to irrigate 3.22 lakh acres of the second crop using water from the Somasila project. Officials have reviewed storage levels in the Somasila and Kandaleru reservoirs, requirement of water and supply to delta and non-delta areas. The minister called for coordination between the agriculture and irrigation departments to ensure the required water is supplied to the crop by September 30. He directed formation of special teams comprising irrigation, revenue, agriculture, horticulture and police personnel, along with project and water-user committees, apart from local MLAs, to continuously monitor canals and field channels and address bottlenecks.
Officials have been asked to take corrective measures at the siphon damaged at the 12-km point of the Kavali canal, which has affected the water flow, to protect crops in the areas concerned. Collector Himanshu Shukla said the coming 30 days would be crucial, with the next 15 days being particularly important. He directed agriculture officials to provide precise crop maturity details canal-wise. He asked Irrigation officials to clearly report existing bottlenecks and proposed solutions.
MLAs Kakarla Suresh, Dagumati Venkata Krishna Reddy, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and Vemireddy Prashanthi Reddy highlighted the local irrigation issues and stressed on water reaching the tail-end farmers. Somireddy said El Nino-related water stress could worsen the situation and asked authorities to prevent water wastage. Prashanthi Reddy said judicious use of water has enabled irrigation reach the tail-end areas in Kovur. She called for continuous monitoring until the crop is harvested.
