Tummala Nageswara Rao directs officials to conserve water in Khammam

Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao directed officials to conserve water in Khammam and Kothagudem districts amid concerns over El Niño. He stressed drinking water security, efficient reservoir management, alternative crops for farmers and measures to protect ready-to-harvest crops

Khammam: Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao directed the district officials to close the regulators, shutters, distribution systems Nagarjuna Sagar project (NSP) left canal and Sitarama project canals to store water for drinking water needs.

Steps have to be taken for judicious use of water in the command areas of the projects. Measures to prevent drinking water shortage in erstwhile Khammam district have to be taken in view of potential decline in water availability due to the El Niño effect, he said.

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At a meeting with the officials from Khammam and Kothagudem districts here on Tuesday Nageswara Rao said that El Niño could negatively impact irrigation water supply. Officials have to create awareness among farmers to opt for alternative crops instead of paddy in the Yasangi season.

Farmers have to be given prior information regarding the timing of electricity supply for agricultural purposes and auto-starters installed on irrigation pump motors have to be removed. Care must be taken to ensure that dried-up bore wells in the villages would not be used, he said.

He suggested that a plan has to be prepared to utilise the Kinnerasani Project as an alternative water source to ensure a continuous supply of water to the public under the Mission Bhagiratha scheme. The public should be made aware not to use drinking water for cleaning vehicles.

In light of the Arnab cyclone, the Minister urged farmers to remain vigilant to protect their ready-to-harvest crops from damage. He told the marketing officials to take measures to ensure that farmers receive better prices for their produce, even if overall yields were lower.

Old drinking water supply schemes in villages have to be restored to serve as an alternative in the event of any disruption to the Mission Bhagiratha water supply. Individual bore wells and overhead service reservoirs should be brought back into use wherever necessary, the Minister noted.

Water storage in Palair reservoir should be managed efficiently to meet the drinking water needs of three districts. Efforts were being made to store approximately 1 TMC of water by raising a barrier made of sandbags at Dummugudem weir across river Godavari in Kothagudem district, he added.