NIZAMABAD : With the irrigation officials releasing water from Nizamsagar project to provide water to existing crops in Banswada and Bodhan Assembly constituencies and several villages of Jukkal Assembly constituency of erstwhile Nizamabad district, the ruling party leaders are a relieved lot, as they feel that they can now face people, especially the farmers, who were questioning them for water. All the political parties and irrigation department officials urged the government to take decision on releasing water from Singoor to Nizamsagar project for irrigation purpose.
The government did not take any decision to release the water, as it wanted to maintain stock of drinking water for two years in Singoor reservoir in view to launch the Mission Bhagiratha programme. On the other side, Nizamsagar project did not have any water. With Singoor reservoir receiving good inflows a few days back, more than half tmcft of water was released into Manjeera River and same quantity of water was received by Nizamsagar project with this, the irrigation officials took a decision to release water from Nizamsagar project into canals to protect the existing crops.
“We have been releasing 1,000 to 1,500 cusecs of water from last five days and it will continue till Monday,’’ said Nizamsagar project Executive Engineer (EE) K Madhukar Reddy. He said that the decision was taken in view of prevailing drought like situation. He said the water released will help provide water to more than 1.60 lakh acres of land in the district.
The Irrigation department officials said that they will convene a district-level meeting in the next few days to finalise a action plan to provide water to the second crop in the district.