The beleaguered paddy farmers of Krishna delta have got some respite with encouraging inflows into the Prakasam Barrage for the last four days.
On Sunday evening, the Prakasam Barrage received 9,255 cusecs of water and the same is being released to the canals in Eastern and Western Delta. A total of 5,733 cusecs of water is released to the eastern delta, 3,422 cusecs to the western canal and 100 cusecs to the Guntur Channel.
The water level at the Prakasam Barrage stood at 11.1 feet. Though the inflow of water into the barrage was 15,879 cusecs in the morning, it came down by the evening. The barrage is receiving about 7,000 to 8,000 cusecs of water a day on an average for the last four days due to rains in the catchment areas of the Krishna river between the Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) and the Prakasam Barrage.
With the increase in inflows into the Prakasam Barrage, farmers have started irrigating the transplanted crop.
Kollipara Saibabu, a ryot leader of Pamidimukkala, said the increase in inflows into the Prakasam Barrage revived the hopes of farmers.
It may be mentioned here that the High Court is scheduled to take up NS water release to the Krishna delta for hearing on Monday as the water level in the dam is below 510 feet (minimum draw down level). At present, the water level in the NSP stood at 509.7 feet and the total quantum of water in it is put at 131.16 tmc.
The water level in Srisailam reservoir stood at 839.2 feet on Sunday morning. The reservoir has 95.21 tmc of water with inflows of 1,174 cusecs, according to irrigation officials.