The Hindu Business Line : Godavari delta farmers worried at scanty rains

FARMERS in the Godavari delta are a worried lot, as inflows into the river have dwindled alarmingly for want of rains in the catchment area. It is now doubtful whether irrigation officials would be able to provide water to even half-a-million acres for the rabi crop.

The normal irrigated area in the delta is a million acres in the two districts of East Godavari and West Godavari. The officials initially assessed the availability of water here at a meeting here last month and said the water would be sufficient for only 3.5 lakh acres or so in the two districts, but subsequently due to pressures from local leaders and farmers, it was revised upward and the Government fixed the area at 5 lakh acres, 2.5 lakh acres apiece in each district.

It was agreed upon at a meeting in Hyderabad that water would be released from Sileru reservoir for the delta. However, according to irrigation officials, inflows into the river have fallen so drastically that it may be necessary to draw water from Sileru even for raising the nurseries and the problem may get out of hand in the later stages.

The year before the last, during 2000-2001 rabi, there was a problem but it could be managed with Sileru water but this year it is much more acute, say irrigation officials. The collectors of both the districts, Mr K.S Jawahar Reddy and Mr Sanjay Jaju, have undertaken a campaign to persuade farmers not to go in for paddy cultivation unauthorisedly and to use the available water economically.

The Chief Minister too has appealed to farmers recently to understand the position and go in for alternative crops in the rabi season.

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