The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) has allowed the people of integrated Karimnagar district start their agricultural activities without waiting for the monsoon, said Health Minister Eatala Rajender.
“Gone are the days when farmers of SRSP and LMD command areas waited only for water to be released through canals to take up cultivation. Now, all the minor irrigation tanks are filled to the brim with KLIP water to let farmers start agricultural activities without waiting for the rains,” he said, and added that there was no shortage of water for irrigation and drinking water needs in the district.
Mr. Rajender along with Minister for Social Welfare Koppula Eshwar and Minister for BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Gangula Kamalakar, Peddapalli MP Venkatesh Netha, elected representatives of Karimnagar, Jagtial and Peddapalli and district officials participated at a review meeting on kharif (Vanakalam) action plan at the Collectorate on Sunday.
He called upon farmers to go for a fine variety of paddy instead of the regular variety for better profits. Stating that the district has emerged as the rice bowl of Telangana and also the seed bowl of the country, he said that the majority of farmers cultivate paddy in the district due to availability of water. He urged them to take up other crops like cotton, red gram, green gram and soya bean.
He also informed farmers to take up turmeric and cultivate maize as only inter-crop for better yields. He said that the agriculture scientists would conduct soil tests and ask them to take up cultivation of different varieties of crops.
Minister for Social Welfare Koppula Eshwar said that the completion of KLIP had ensured that each and every village secured the Godavari water. He said that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had allocated ₹100 crore to ensure that water reached all the minor irrigation tanks that did not get water through KLIP.
Minister for BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Gangula Kamalakar instructed farmers to take up cultivation at least two months in advance to avoid losses following unseasonal rains and hailstorms. He said that they were importing the fine variety of paddy to be consumed in the State due to farmers cultivating only the normal variety, which was being consumed by other states.
MLCs T. Jeevan Reddy, T. Bhanu Prasad Rao and N. Laxman Rao, legislators D. Sridhar Babu, Sunke Ravishankar, Rasamayi Balakishan, M. Sanjay Kumar, D. Manohar Reddy, V. Satish Babu, Korukanti Chander, ZP chairpersons and collectors of the three districts and officials were also present.
