Ministers NMD Farooq and BC Janardhan Reddy along with Collector Rajakumari Ganiya at the District Irrigation Advisory Committee meeting in Nandyal on Tuesday. | Photo credit: ARRANGEMENT
Minister for Minority Welfare NMD Farooq and Minister for Roads and Buildings (R&B) BC Janardhan Reddy on Tuesday called for prudent management of the Rabi season and urged farmers to shun paddy cultivation and opt for dry crops instead. The ministers were speaking at a meeting of the District Irrigation Advisory Committee at the Collectorate chaired by Collector Rajakumari Ganiya.
Minister Farooq said that water allocation through KC canal, SRBC and Telugu Ganga ayacuts has been reviewed in detail. They assured that SRBC water will be supplied till the last ayacut, but warned that KC canal flows will be severely curtailed this season due to replacement work at the Tungabhadra project gates.
As a result, releasing water from 0-150 km in the KC Canal system was considered infeasible, the minister said. He called on farmers’ organizations to cooperate, adding that the government would escalate any problems that arose to the state level. Telugu Ganga ayacut farmers are expected to get water by the end of March, he said.
Meanwhile, minister Janardhan Reddy said the replacement of the Tungabhadra project gate, done in coordination with Karnataka, is necessary to prevent bigger structural risks in the future. Temporary difficulties were inevitable during major repairs, he said, adding that the government was exploring alternatives such as reverse pumping.
Collector Rajakumari said the government remained committed to promoting farmers’ welfare and ensuring remunerative prices. She confirmed that SRBC water will be released till the last ayacut and Telugu Ganga ayacut will receive water till March 31. She also informed that 48,000 acres between 0-150 km of KC canal will not receive water due to Tungabhadra gate and that back pumping to Malyala and Mucchumarri was not possible this year.
Allagadda MLA Akhilapriya demanded water till the end, to which the Collector replied that an additional 5 tmcft would make it possible. Srisailam MLA Rajasekhar Reddy sought full water supply to 23,000 acres through the Siddapuram reservoir, while Panyam MLA Charita Reddy highlighted crop losses due to SRBC floods and sought extension of water supply till 15 April. Nandikotkur MLA Jayasurya urged support for KC Canal farmers.
Published – 02 Dec 2025 20:24 IST
