ONGOLE: Notwithstanding the fact that both major projects on the Krishna river—Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar—are brimming with water, thanks to the heavy rains in the last month, the irrigation department has decided to release water only for irrigated dry (ID) crops under Nagarjuna Sagar Right Canal (NSRC) ayucut.
Surprised by the move, farmers in the Addanki branch canal (ABC) region under NSRC ayucut have decided to give up paddy cultivation and shift to other crops. The farmers are slowly moving towards chilli, cotton and jowar.
Paddy sowing was not taken up even in 50% of the anticipated areas in Addanki, Darsi, Purchur and Ongole assembly constituencies due to insufficient water supply. Paddy had been cultivated on about five lakh acres under Nagarjuna Sagar ayucut. “The irrigation department has failed to assure us full quota of water from Sagar project despite repeated appeals. We have no option but to switch to other crops,” said M Seshareddy of Addanki. He said officials were not responding even after local legislators intervened.
Bolla Bramhanaidu, legislator of Vinukonda in Guntur district, had raised the issue of inadequate release of water from Sagar canals at the recent district review committee (DRC) meeting. He said the farmers were laughing at them for releasing the water on a shift basis (Vara Bandi) even when the reservoirs were in spate. Expressing surprise over the decision of the irrigation department, in-charge minister Ch Ranganatha Raju directed the officials to ensure full supply of water in the entire ayucut under NSRC.
Krishna waters enter Prakasam district via Addanki branch canal after meeting the needs of farmers in Vinukonda region. Vinukonda and Addanki branch canal are at the tail-end of NSRC. Taking a cue from the ordeals of ryots in Vinukonda, farmers in Addanki are swiftly moving to commercial crops.
