Lifting of water from Godavari stopped due to low storage

Vijayawada: Transportation of water from Godavari river to Krishna delta through Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (PLIS) was stopped on Thursday. According to officials, the four motors were stopped by Water Resources department due to low water reserves in Godavari river. As many as 80,000 hectares of paddy crop in Krishna, West Godavari, Guntur and Prakasam districts is still in the middle of harvesting stage.

Now the State government is making plans to draw 9.4 tmcft AP’s due water share from Nagarjuna Sagar. Infact, water is being shifted from Godavari river for the past three months though the kharif season is almost over. Major part of paddy cultivation was completed while the farmers started harvesting of crop recently in Krishna delta.

But a section of farming community is still facing water shortage since they completed transplantation late in October. Now the late kharif paddy require water up to January second week. In this backdrop, water was shifted from Godavari so far. But the low water reserves in Godavari river forced the Water Resources department to stop water release to Krishna delta from Pattiseema project.

The Water Resources department wrote a letter to the Agriculture department and also alerted the farmers on stopping of water release. On the other hand, the Water Resources department wants to request Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to release the 9.4 tmcft balance share of water from Nagarjuna Sagar.

The State government also wants to send the communication to Telangana government in this regard. Krishna Delta Chief Engineer R Satish Kumar said to The Hans India that they are making plans to draw the balance share from Nagarjunasagar. He hoped that water could be released to farmers till next January 15.