HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday directed the officials to ensure that river waters from projects that are being constructed across the State, reach the maximum extent of the farmlands in the State.
The Chief Minister, who was reviewing the works related to providing waters to the unserved areas at Pragathi Bhavan, asked them to identify such areas on a priority basis. “There is no other priority for the State than providing irrigation facility to the parched farmlands,” he said.
He wanted the officials to take steps for filling tanks so that water could be taken to the last mile in the ayacut under a project. He also wanted steps to be taken to ensure that water from Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP) flood flow canal reaches the needy areas after augmenting it from other sources. “It is necessary that all wings in the Irrigation Department be brought under one umbrella for better functioning,” he said.
Interestingly, the review meeting was attended by, among others, Kathalapur ZPTC member Bhumaiah, farmer Sripal, with whom the Chief Minister had interacted over phone, and enquired about agriculture and the problems they faced in their avocation.
The CM at the review meeting said: “The government has spent heavily on projects on Godavari and Krishna after overcoming a number of problems. The result of this effort should go to the people, which would be possible only when irrigation facility is provided to maximum extent of farmlands.”
The Chief Minister recalled how Telangana was anxious over when the irrigation problems would come to an end. Now, after the advent of TRS government, top priority was accorded to agriculture. Now with the commissioning of several projects, including behemoth like KLIS, there is enough water. We should be able to utilise the water now available,he added.
KCR also told officials that during monsoon, rains yield good volume of water and it should be impounded in projects. All tanks and check dams in TS should always remain full. This would charge up the groundwater table too which would help farmers draw water with borewells. This way the farmers would have access to groundwater and at the same time, from irrigation canals.
The CM said that SRSP could get two tmcft water from Kaleswaram which meant that under SRSP, crops could be raised in 30 lakh acres. “The flood flow channel, Kakatiya canal, Upper Manair, Mid Manair and Lower Manair should always be full. They would become lifeline for poeple. The SRSP should have at least 25 to 30 tmcft water and it should be used depending on the need. There are 139 tanks under it, of which some are not getting water. You identify the tanks that are not getting water and take measures for filling them in the next three to four months. The flood flow canal can get water from both Kaleswaram and SRSP,” the CM pointed out.