Godavari Water Release to Canals from Today

Kakinada: The Water Resources Department will release water from River Godavari to the canals of Eastern Delta, Western Delta and Central Delta from Saturday. East Godavari collector K. Madhavi Latha along with the chief engineer of the Godavari Delta System, Satish Kumar and the superintendent engineer of Irrigation of Dowleswaram barrage circle, G Srinivasa Rao, and other officials will release the water on Saturday morning hours.

According to irrigation department officials, 3.1460tmc ft of water is available in the river and this would be distributed to the delta regions from Saturday. The water would be “sufficient” for the Khariff crop this year. Meanwhile, agriculture department officials are preparing for the Khariff crop. Sufficient seed stocks are being kept in Rythu Bharosa Kendras in villages. However, in East Godavari district, the farmers have already started raising their nurseries.

District agriculture officer, S Madhava Rao, said farmers have completed nurseries in 48 hectares and the seed is available at the processing centres. Paddy would be grown in



71,000 out of 82,000 hectares and pulses like maize etc in the remaining areas. According to the district action plan for Kharif, the raising of nurseries should be completed by June 15 and transplantation done in another month’s time. If the farmers implement the agriculture calendar, they can easily cultivate a second crop in Rabi, officials claimed.

Eluru district agriculture officer Habib Basha said green manure seed has been allocated to the extent of 10820 quintals while 9000 quintals are available at RBKs. Some 22,000 quintals of paddy seeds are available at RBKs in the district. He said 7000 metric tonnes of fertilizer is available at RBKs. Konaseema district agriculture officer Voleti Bosubabu said paddy would be cultivated in 1,68,000 acres. Some 23,000 quintals of seeds are available while another 7,500 quintals of seeds are available in the processing centres. “Farmers are preparing the seeds on their own too. MTU 7029 Swarna, MTU 1318, 1024, Sampat Swarna etc are being cultivated by the farmers in Konaseema district,” he said.