Can Give Water For 7 Lakh Acres, But For ID Crops’

HYDERABAD: All may not be lost for farmers, at least those with lands in the ayacut of select projects in Telangana, this El Nino-hit monsoon season, with the irrigation department saying it was in a position to provide water for crops in around 7 lakh acres.

“This decision follows directions from irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy that where possible, after taking into account drinking water requirements, water should be provided for irrigation. Given the current conditions, it has been decided to provide water to ayacut under various projects to the extent possible,” a senior irrigation department official said on Wednesday.

The plans drawn up include providing water from projects in the Godavari river basin to 6,05,955 acres while 95,108 acres of ayacut in different districts in the Krishna river basin will get water taking the total proposed irrigated ayacut to 7,01,063 acres this kharif season.

Incidentally, the total area under various crops as of August 12 was 1,07,17,314 acres against the normal crop area for the season of 1,32,38,446 acres, as per agriculture department’s data. This year, water-intensive paddy and sugarcane have been planted in 41,92,195 acres, while the rest, 65,25,119 acres are under various irrigated dry and rainfed crops.

But with this year’s monsoon hit by what is now being described as a ‘super’ El Nino – one of the strongest on record and which is expected to strengthen further – the official said. “Despite the El Nino and poor overall rains, several projects have received water and the decision is to make the most of what is available. While the entire ayacut in the state may not be served, we can at least provide irrigation where possible,” the official said.

Based on the accepted principle that one tmc ft of water is required to irrigate 10,000 acres, the current storages in the identified reservoirs that can be used for irrigation come to around 70 tmc ft of water. “It is likely that an on-off system will be followed. This means water is released for eight days and then stopped for seven days. Our advice is to use the released water for irrigated dry crops and not for water-intensive paddy as the on-off system will not work for paddy,” the official added.

Some good news for farmers

Limited irrigation this Kharif

In Krishna basin

Projects – Musi, Kotepally, Dindi, Pakhal, LT Bayyaram, Wyram Lanka Sagar

Districts covered – Suryapet, Vikarabad, Nalgonda, Warangal, Mahbubabad, Khammam

Ayacut covered - 95,108 acres

In Godavari basin

Projects – Kaddam, Nizamsagar, Devadula, Upper Manair, Shanigaram, Swarna, Sathnala, Mathadivagu, Ramadugu, Boggulavagu, Ramappa, Palemvagu, Koulasnala, Pocharam, Ralivagu, Nilwai, NTR Sagar, Vatti Vagu, PP Rao, Gollavagu, Nallavagu

Districts covered – Adilabad, Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Jangaon, Mulugu, Rajanna Siricilla, Siddipet, Nirmal, JS Bhupalpally, Mancherial, KB Asifabad, Sangareddy

Ayacut covered – 6,05,955 acres