Minister flags Nagarjuna Sagar water shortage, urges no paddy

As part of crop substitution in the district, 33,000 acres have already been shifted from paddy to rain-fed crops, but the minister urged officials to take the figure to 1.5 lakh acres.

Hyderabad: Citing dwindling water availability in the Nagarjuna Sagar project, Roads, Buildings and Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Saturday, August 8, instructed officials to intensify awareness efforts among farmers, urging them to refrain from cultivating paddy and instead take up six rain-fed crops.

The minister said that the water currently in the Nagarjuna Sagar project will only suffice for drinking water needs, and there was little chance of additional water inflow from upstream.

Even if the Nagarjuna Sagar were to fill up, there would be no situation to fill the tanks, and with groundwater levels already depleting in borewells, farmers must ensure they only cultivate six rain-fed crops, he said.

He was speaking at the District Irrigation Advisory Board meeting held at the Nalgonda District Collector’s Office. He said that the Alimineti Madhava Reddy Project (AMRP) is only half full, and such a situation had never occurred before. He added that it is unclear how the conditions will be in South Telangana due to a super El Niño in the coming days.

As part of crop substitution in the district, 33,000 acres have already been shifted from paddy to rain-fed crops, but the minister urged officials to take the figure to 1.5 lakh acres.

Keeping in view the overload on 9,000 transformers in the district, he said he would discuss with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and arrange for the necessary electrical equipment. Despite the drought, he assured that work on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel, which will permanently provide irrigation water to the Nalgonda district, will be completed by August 2028.

The minister said that farmers under various projects in the district are sowing two paddy crops, which causes the soil to lose its fertility and become unproductive. Instead, farmers must be encouraged towards vegetable crops, horticultural crops and organic farming, he said.

District Collector B Chandrashekar said that the impact of super El Niño will continue in September as well, with a possibility of sporadic rains only in North Telangana and no rains for South Telangana. He said the opportunity to sow rain-fed crops is only until August 15; therefore, agriculture and horticulture department officials should go to the field level and enlighten farmers.

Revival of district irrigation advisory panels

The previous day, Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy had ordered immediate revival of district irrigation advisory panels comprising the district collectors, officials from the Irrigation and Agriculture Departments, elected representatives and other stakeholders.

The panels must meet before and during every crop season to assess reservoir and canal supplies and clearly advise farmers on crops that can be safely cultivated in each command area, the minister said.

He directed district administrations to clearly communicate the water situation to farmers before they commit themselves to water-intensive crops.