GUNTUR: Amid the water crisis with deficit rainfall, irrigation officials released 5,500 cusecs of water from Nagarjuna Sagar project in Palnadu district on Saturday.According to officials, over 1,000 cusecs of water has been released from gate number 4 of the project into Nagarjuna Sagar left canal and was gradually increased and as many as 5,500 cusecs of water has been released.
As the water levels are low in Krishna Delta, Guntur Channel, Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala projects, the officials are prioritising to provide sufficient drinking water.Palnadu district irrigation department executive engineer Sri Hari informed that, in the same manner, 5 TMCs of water would be released in the next days from the project for drinking water purposes.
Meanwhile, the agriculture department officials are encouraging the farmers for cultivation of aerobic rice as an alternative, due to the shortage of water and various alternative crops, including legumes and other horticulture crops, and are planning to distribute seeds of bengal gram, green gram, tur dal and other legumes to farmers at subsidy prices through RBKs.
The officials with the coordination of senior scientists and experts are conducting awareness programmes to educate farmers on various water-conserving methods in agriculture and encouraging them to opt for microirrigation and other water-conserving methods.