Telangana: DIAB Calls For Steps TO Protect Farmers Amid El Nino Threat

The decision was taken at a meeting of the District Irrigation Advisory Board (DIAB), chaired by Nizamabad in-charge collector Bhavesh Mishra at the Integrated District Offices Complex (IDOC). Government sdvisor and Banswada MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Nizamabad Rural MLA Dr R. Bhoopathi Reddy, Nizamabad Urban MLA Dhanpal Suryanarayana Gupta and Armoor MLA Paidi Rakesh Reddy attended the meeting. Kamareddy collector Ashish Sangwan participated virtually.

The meeting reviewed water storage in the Nizamsagar, Sriramsagar, Singur, Kaulas Nala, Pocharam and Ramadugu reservoirs, irrigation availability for ayacut areas, alternative crop planning and measures to promote crop diversification.

Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said DIAB meetings were traditionally held during the Rabi season to plan irrigation for Yasangi crops. However, the government decided to hold the meeting during Kharif this year in view of the El Niño threat and the need to prevent crop losses.

He urged officials to take proactive steps to protect farmers who had already cultivated paddy and use Rythu Vedikas to encourage those yet to sow crops to opt for Irrigated Dry (ID) crops, vegetables and oil palm.

Bhavesh Mishra said recent cyclone-related rains had provided some relief, but rainfall during August and September was expected to remain below normal. He stressed the need to use available water resources judiciously.

Paddy has already been cultivated on 3.96 lakh acres in the district, while another 45,000 acres in command and non-command areas are yet to be sown. Agriculture and Horticulture officials were directed to encourage farmers in these areas to take up sorghum, maize, vegetables, pulses and oil palm instead of paddy.

Mishra said the Sriramsagar reservoir, with a full storage capacity of 80 tmc, currently had 40 tmc, similar to the level recorded last year. The quantum of irrigation water to be released would be decided at the state-level Shivam Committee meeting scheduled for the last week of August.

Nizamabad district has an ayacut of 1.15 lakh acres under the Nizamsagar project. With the reservoir currently holding 10.78 TMC, there was potential for three to four irrigation cycles, he said.

Ashish Sangwan said repair works at the Singur reservoir, which supplies drinking water to Nizamabad, Kamareddy and Medak districts, had restricted its storage capacity. The existing 4.140 tmc should be reserved for drinking water and was expected to last 60 to 90 days, he said.

He stressed the need to store an additional 4 tmc of floodwater if adequate rains occurred, which could ensure drinking water supply to the three districts for another five to six months. Large-scale Jalasiri programmes were also being implemented to improve groundwater levels, he said.

The Kaulas Nala and Pocharam projects in Kamareddy district have reached full reservoir levels and can supply irrigation water to their designated ayacut areas.