Social Welfare Minister Pinipe Viswaroop on Friday directed the Irrigation Department to ensure supply of irrigation water in the eastern and central delta areas till April 20.
Presently, irrigation authorities are supplying 2,660 cusecs per day to the crops being grown in the Rabi season in the entire Godavari delta in East Godavari district.
In the central delta, a total of 38,441 hectares of land is under paddy cultivation. In the eastern delta, a total of 87,307 hectares of land is under the paddy cultivation.
“At least 200 cusecs of irrigation water should be diverted from the eastern delta to the central delta as 15% of paddy harvesting has been completed in the eastern delta. The diversion of the irrigation water will save crops in the central delta where paddy sowing was delayed in the Rabi season,” said Mr. Viswaroop.
The State government is yet to fix a date to stop the release of Godavari water from the Polavaram project site to begin the construction of the cofferdam.
Mr. Viswaroop has also asked Agriculture Department Joint Director J.D. Rama Rao to supply diesel free of cost to farmers to help them draw water from the canals with motor engines in the central and eastern delta areas.
