VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu emphasised the critical role of water resource conservation in enhancing groundwater levels during a video conference held on Thursday with irrigation associations, district collectors, and State officials from the secretariat.
The discussion focused on efficient water management, ensuring irrigation water reaches tail-end agricultural lands, and implementing sustainable practices to combat drought and bolster agricultural productivity across the State.
Naidu highlighted the State’s achievement in storing 82.29% of water capacity in reservoirs and barrages by effectively diverting floodwater.
Projects like Handri-Neeva have successfully filled reservoirs in Rayalaseema, and the government now plans to prioritise Velugonda, Uttarandhra, and Galeru-Nagari Sujala Sravanthi projects to further strengthen irrigation infrastructure.
He stressed the importance of preserving every drop of water, noting that rivers like Krishna and Godavari lose significant water to the sea, while 17% of the State faces deficient rainfall, creating drought-like conditions in some areas.
The Chief Minister urged irrigation associations to take responsibility for maintaining tanks, canals, and check dams, ensuring their active participation in water conservation. With 38,000 minor irrigation tanks, the State has the potential to store vast amount of water, which requires timely repairs and desilting within the next 10-15 days to optimise rainwater collection.
Naidu also announced plans to restructure the irrigation department’s engineering system, and introduce district-wise ratings to evaluate water management efficiency, fostering accountability and performance.
Addressing groundwater depletion, Naidu emphasised its impact on agriculture, with 40 lakh acres relying on 19 lakh borewells, consuming Rs 8,250 crore power per annum. Efficient groundwater management could halve these costs, ensuring levels remain at 3 metres during monsoon and 8 metres post-monsoon.
He called for transforming land into a reservoir through sustainable practices, reducing dependency on deep borewells, and mitigating risks like fluoride contamination.
The government aims to empower irrigation associations to lead water conservation and groundwater recharge efforts, ensuring equitable water distribution to every acre, and eliminating drought through strategic management.