Govt. to revive Dist. Irrigation Advisory Boards soon

HYDERABAD

The State government has decided to revive District Irrigation Advisory Boards to assess the availability of water in reservoirs and other water bodies, volume of water that could be supplied through canals, and clearly advise farmers on crops that may be safely cultivated in the command areas of each project.

The announcement was made by Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy in a virtual meet held from Hyderabad with the District Collectors. Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao and Jupally Krishna Rao, Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju and other senior officials too participated in the meeting.

He stated that officials from the Agriculture and Irrigation departments, elected representatives and other stakeholders, besides the District Collectors, would meet before and during every crop season to assess the water availability for irrigation and drinking needs, once the panels are formed.

The Minister asked the Collectors to hold Irrigation Advisory Board meetings from the very next day wherever possible in view of the prevailing El Nino conditions that are expected to impact rainfall across the State.

He explained that the panels would review and assess the reservoir storage, expected inflows, local rainfall, drinking-water requirements and command-area needs and then issue clear guidance to farmers. The purpose is not merely to regulate irrigation releases but to ensure that every farmer receives credible information before deciding what to sow or transplant.

Sounding a caution to the farmers against going for water-intensive crops, including paddy during the current Kharif season, under projects that received inadequate inflows so far, Mr. Uttam Reddy told the district administrations to clearly communicate the water situation to farmers before they commit themselves to water-intensive crops. The present reservoir levels coupled with the rainfall outlook for the latter part of the monsoon would require extremely cautious crop planning, he stated.

He said the rainfall received during July had brought some relief and could help support crops in certain command areas. Farmers should not opt for paddy crop merely on the strength of the present spell of rains.

“They may perhaps be able to support one wetting by taking advantage of the rains received during the first week of August but the second wetting itself may become uncertain. Farmers should not be put to hardship two or three months later, after being encouraged to take up a crop now,” he cautioned.