VIJAYAWADA: Even though the south-west monsoon is active over the State, water levels in major reservoirs at the end of the ninth week of Kharif remained just around 200 TMC as against 384 TMC during the corresponding period last year. While the levels are expected to increase in the next few days, thanks to the inflows into Krishna basin from upper riparian states, the agricultural activity is expected to gain momentum.
According to the Union Ministry of Water Resources, Srisailam reservoir would get 60 TMC of water in the next three-four days. As on Thursday, about 43 TMC of water was stored. This is expected to boost the sowing activity, which is still limping along even at the end of the ninth week of Kharif on July 31 with only 36 per cent of the normal area coming under cultivation.
“Last year, we had about 45 per cent higher storage level in the major reservoirs. However, the levels are increasing. We had 188 TMC of water as on July 24 and it increased to 200 TMC on July 31. The levels would further increase in the next one week with more inflows into Krishna and Godavari basin and we expect the sowing activity to gain steam to reach normal level,” an official explained.
As on Wednesday, sowing has been taken up in about 13.84 lakh hectares as against the normal 38.30 lakh hectares. “Sowing operations for rain-fed crops has picked up in the last 10 days except in Vizianagaram, Kadapa, Anantapur and Prakasam districts. Farming was taken up in 26-50 per cent of area in five districts. Likewise, sowing operations have been taken up in 51-75 per cent of the area in the remaining four districts,” the official observed.The weekly report compiled by the Agriculture department stated that paddy crop was in transplantation or seedling stage, while jowar and maize crops were in sowing and vegetative stages.