Khammam: Water released into NSP canal after 22 days of delay

Water for agriculture was released into the NSP left canal which suffered a breach on September 1 due to heavy rains and floods

Khammam: Water to agriculture fields under NSP ayacut was released on Tuesday after a gap of nearly 22 days as the NSP left canal at Mallaigudem in Kusumanchi mandal suffered a breach on September 1 due heavy rains and floods.

It might be noted that there has been a delay in repairing the breached canal. Farmers and farmers associations have staged protests over the delay as well as alleged indifferent attitude of irrigation officials and the district ministers in taking up repairs.

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Former minister T Harish Rao took serious exception to the failure of Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy in completing canal repair works at the earliest.

After carrying out repairs in a hurried manner to close the breach, irrigation officials released water last Saturday but the canal bed suffered yet another breach and officials had to stop water flow into the canal. With mounting pressure irrigation officials repaired the breach on a war footing basis and released water at around 4.30 am in the day.

Minister Srinivas Reddy along with district Collector Muzammil Khan inspected the repaired canal. Starting from 500 cusecs, 1500 cusecs of water was released by afternoon. By Wednesday 3200 cusecs of water would be released at full capacity to provide water to fields at the tail end, the minister said.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the government was contemplating to initiate action against concerned officials who acted negligently in repairing the breached canal and completing the works at the earliest. The delay in repairs made paddy fields on large areas dry up.