Water released to NSP left canal for all crop season in last eight years: Jagadish Reddy

Nalgonda: After a decade, water was released early to left canal of Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) in July for monsoon crop season due to high inflows into the project. Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy has formally released the water to left canal of NSP on Thursday.

The project engineers already released a schedule for water release to provide irrigation facility to 6.16 lakh acres of NSP. Irrigation facility would be provided to 1,45,727 acres land in Nalgonda, 1,45,727 acres in Suryapet, 2.41 lakh acres in Khammam districts including the ayacut under Lift Irrigation Schemes.

Steady inflows into the project made water levels reach 550.9 feet water level by July 28 as against 540.5 feet last year on the same day. The heavy water inflows enabled the authorities to release water to left canal in July, which was early compared to the time of water release for monsoon crop season in the last 10 years. In the last two-decades, it was second time that water was released in the month of July, according to the project engineers.

Speaking on the occasion Jagadish Reddy said that it was 15th time of releasing water to left canal of NSP after formation of Telangana state, which means irrigation facility was provided to the farmers for two crops in the last eight years. In 59 years of the history of the project, it was the first time that water was released to left canals for continuous 15 crop seasons. Due to good water levels in the project, water was being released to left canal early for moonsoon crop season ie July this year, which would benefit the farmers of ayacut. It was a best answer to those, who questioned as to what would happen to Telangana, if separate state was formed.

He reminded that the Congress and BJP leaders of Congress and BJP never questioned about the injustice mete out to Telangana in getting its share of water from Krishna river in united Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister has succeeded in bringing earlier glory to agriculture sector with his initiatives. In addition to irrigation facility, the state government has taken up investment support scheme Rythu Bandhu, he reminded. The minister has also conducted pooja to Krishna river at Pottichelma after releasing the water to the left canal. MLAs Nomula Bhagath Kumar and Shanampudi Saidi Reddy, and MLC M Koti Reddy were also present.