K T Rama Rao asks irrigation officials to release water from Mid Manair for standing crops

BRS working president says standing crops spread over 1,500 to 2,000 acres were likely to wither due to lack of water

RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has asked irrigation officials to protect standing crops sowed under the Malkapeta reservoir by releasing water from the Mid Manair dam.

Rama Rao, who was in Sircilla on Sunday, spoke to Irrigation Engineer-In-Chief Anil Kumar over phone and said farmers had arranged motors to supply water to crops following the trial run carried out by the Irrigation Department recently.

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The standing crop spread over 1,500 to 2,000 acres is likely to wither due to lack of water. So the crops should be protected by releasing water from Mid Manair, which is the main source for Ranganayaka Sagar and Malkapeta reservoirs. Harvesting would start by the middle of April.

Before that the water should be provided, he said, adding that the crop would survive if 0.5 to 0.75 tmc of water was released from Mid Manair where 15.95 tmc of water was available.

Rama Rao also said he had already spoken to Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was at the SLBC tunnel site. The Minister had assured that he would ask the ENC to consult him. Rama Rao asked the ENC to take steps to supply water by consulting local irrigation officials. Earlier, he also spoke to Mid Manair SE Sumathi.