Rainwater Conservation Programmes Begin in Godavari Districts
Eluru district collector Vetri Selvi said the farmers who are raising horticulture crops with government subsidies should set up farm-ponds in their gardens.
Kakinada:Rain water conservation programmes were started in the Godavari districts of Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru and the East and West Godavari on Monday.
Collectors have asked the officials to prepare a 100-day action plan. Programmes include removal of weed from the canals, ponds, feeder channels and other water bodies in coordination with water distributor associations. Rainwater would be effectively harvested to replenish groundwater levels.
Eluru district collector Vetri Selvi said the farmers who are raising horticulture crops with government subsidies should set up farm-ponds in their gardens.
She along with Denduluru MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar participated in a programme called “Water Conservation- responsibility of Water Distributors Associations” at Somavarappadu village on Monday.
The collector said the officials should prepare an action plan in this respect by April 15. The proposals in the plan would get administrative approval from the government within 10 days. The works should be completed within 70 days and the bills should be submitted by July 14.
The water conservation programme aimed at reaching 6 metres during the summer and 3 metres following the monsoon season.
Prabhakar said that there are 44 water distributor associations, 4 distributary committees and 208 ponds in his constituency.
Konaseema collector Mahesh Kumar said that a district-level committee should be formed to implement the 100-day action plan for water conservation. Officials should work on it with a sense of commitment to increase the groundwater levels.
West Godavari collector Nagarani performed special poojas at the Eastern Canal and inaugurated a weed removal programme for the canal. She said, “There are 2,000ks of irrigation canals in the district and 43 bunds of the ponds should be strengthened.”
She stressed the need for “public partnership” for the programme.
East Godavari collector Keerthi Chekuri along with Rajanagaram MLA Bathula Bala Ramakrishna participated in the Jaladhara programme in Srirangapatnam village in Korukonda mandal.
