Ministers NMD Farooq and B.C. 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 Roads and Buildings (R&B) Minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy on Tuesday called for prudential management of the Rabi season, urging farmers to avoid paddy cultivation and opt instead for dry crops. The Ministers were addressing the District Irrigation Advisory Board meeting at the Collectorate, chaired by Collector Rajakumari Ganiya.
Minister Farooq said that water allocation across KC Canal, SRBC and Telugu Ganga ayacuts were reviewed in detail. They assured that SRBC water would be supplied up to the last ayacut, but warned that KC Canal flows would be severely restricted this season due to replacement works on Tungabhadra project gates.
As a result, water release from 0-150 km in the KC Canal system had been deemed unfeasible, the Minister said. He urged the farmers’ organisations to cooperate, adding that the government would escalate any arising issues to the State level. Telugu Ganga ayacut farmers are expected to receive water until the end of March, he said.
Minister Janardhan Reddy, meanwhile, said that the gate replacement of Tungabhadra project, undertaken in coordination with Karnataka, was essential to prevent larger structural risks in the future. Temporary hardships were inevitable during major repairs, he said, adding that the government was exploring alternatives such as reverse pumping.
Collector Rajakumari said the government remains committed to farmer welfare and ensuring remunerative prices. She confirmed that SRBC water would be released up to the final ayacut and that Telugu Ganga ayacut would receive water till March 31. She also informed that 48,000 acres between 0-150 km of the KC Canal would not receive water because of the Tungabhadra gate works, and that reverse pumping to Malyala and Mucchumarri was not feasible this year.
Allagadda MLA Akhilapriya requested water up to the tail-end, to which the Collector responded that an additional 5 tmcft would make it feasible. Srisailam MLA Rajasekhar Reddy sought full water supply to 23,000 acres via Siddapuram tank, while Panyam MLA Charita Reddy highlighted crop losses due to SRBC flooding and sought extended water supply till April 15. Nandikotkur MLA Jayasurya urged support for KC Canal farmers.
Published – December 02, 2025 08:24 pm IST
