Not a Single Acre Should Dry Up: Tummala
"Not a single acre of crops should wither due to a lack of irrigation. Irrigation engineers shall inspect canals regularly to ensure water reaches tail-end areas. Agriculture officers must verify that irrigation schedules are followed," he stated.
Nalgonda: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao directed officials from various departments to coordinate efforts to prevent drinking water shortages, crop drying, and power disruptions during summer. Chairing a review meeting on Saturday at the Nalgonda collectorate, alongside Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy and roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, he instructed officials from Nalgonda, Suryapet and Bhongir districts to stay vigilant.
The minister emphasised that Mission Bhagiratha officials must ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply in villages, with special funds set aside for district collectors to address emergency needs.
"Not a single acre of crops should wither due to a lack of irrigation. Irrigation engineers shall inspect canals regularly to ensure water reaches tail-end areas. Agriculture officers must verify that irrigation schedules are followed," he stated.
“The available water in irrigation projects should be used efficiently for maximum benefit. Officials must visit villages to assess the drinking water and electricity supply situation at the field level. Elected representatives and officials should work together to address these key issues, which could cause problems for people during summer,” Tummala said.
Roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy urged officials and staff of the irrigation, Mission Bhagiratha and electricity departments to function at full capacity to prevent service disruptions. He directed district collectors to keep Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 with each gram panchayat for drinking water needs during summer and suggested that MLAs allocate funds from their special development fund (SDF) for this purpose.
Council Chairman Sukender Reddy stressed that drinking water complaints must be resolved immediately, with officials going to the site and addressing issues on the same day. He highlighted the need to curb unauthorised water extraction from canals supplying drinking water reservoirs and pointed out that some individuals were illegally drawing water using pump sets. He urged officials to explore the possibility of undertaking minor canal works under NREGP and suggested that lining the AMRP canal could expand irrigation coverage by minimising water wastage.
MLAs Balu Naik, Mandula Samuel, Vemula Veeresham, Bathula Laxma Reddy, Bheerla Ilaiah, and N. Uttam Padmavathi attended the review meeting.
