VIJAYAWADA: In a crucial development for farmers in the Krishna delta, the Water Resources Department has begun releasing 6,847 cusecs of water daily from the Prakasam Barrage to expedite Kharif season operations and safeguard paddy crops in their early stages.
The discharge began on June 15, nearly 15 to 20 days earlier than usual, following a directive from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to mitigate cyclone-related crop losses.
According to Anicut Assistant Engineer Rajesh, the current daily discharge is sufficient to meet the Kharif irrigation needs across the delta. Initially, 1,000 cusecs per day was released, and it was gradually ramped up to the current level to stabilise early sowing and planting activities.
At present, Krishna River is receiving 4,600 cusecs of surplus water from Munneru (Kesara) and an additional 3,867 cusecs from the Pulichintala Project, which are en route to the barrage.
To supplement the Krishna water, authorities also began releasing Godavari water from the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme on Thursday.
Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu officially released the water by activating the pumps.
While the initial plan was to pump 2,214 cusecs of Godavari water daily, only 708 cusecs is being lifted as of 6 pm on Friday, due to ongoing heavy rainfall in the Krishna River’s upper catchment areas.
KC Division Executive Engineer Ravi confirmed that currently, only two pumps are operating but added that the volume could be increased if needed. The Godavari water is expected to reach the Krishna canal system by Sunday.
Interestingly, farmers across the delta region believe that Godavari water, rich in natural minerals, improves soil fertility and yields.
Many claim it enhances productivity by at least five quintals per acre, leading to anticipation for higher volumes of water from Pattiseema.
Meanwhile, the entire Krishna River system is experiencing a heavy influx of floodwater.
The Srisailam project is receiving 76,841 cusecs, releasing 68,118 cusecs, while the Nagarjuna Sagar Project is witnessing 49,553 cusecs of inflow and discharging 5,513 cusecs. Similarly, projects such as Almatti, Jurala, Narayanpur, and Tungabhadra are experiencing significant flood inflows, which are expected to reach Prakasam Barrage shortly.
Officials noted that the Krishna delta requires around 90 TMC for Kharif and 60 TMC for Rabi, totalling about 150–160 TMC for a complete agricultural cycle. Since June 15, approximately 4.24 TMC of water has already been released through the Bandar, Ryves, Eluru,
KEB, and Krishna West canals, supporting widespread sowing operations.