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Water Resources Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu ordered the Collectors of 10 districts in Godavari and Krishna deltas to conduct Irrigation Advisory Board meetings to spread awareness among farmers about El Nino so that its impact could be mitigated.
Addressing Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers of the two delta systems through a teleconference on the agro-climatic conditions caused by El Nino on Saturday, Mr. Rama Naidu said the officials of Water Resources and Revenue Departments to work with close coordination to protect the interests of farmers and noted that for the first time ever, Sileru river waters were being utilized to meet the Kharif crop requirements of Godavari delta.
He suggested that the water supplied through Pushkara and Yeleru canals should be strictly used only to meet drinking water requirements and for Irrigated Dry (ID) crops.
Drinking water has to be supplied to approximately 5.50 million people in East Godavari, Kakinada and Visakhapatnam districts through the Pushkara and Yeleru systems.
Further, Mr. Rama Naidu called for frugal utilization of the available water to make efficient use of every single drop and instructed the officials to clear weeds from the main canals of central, eastern, and western parts of the Godavari delta to ensure unobstructed flow of water.
He directed the officials to ensure that water flowing through the Polavaram right main canal reached the Krishna delta without being wasted, while stating that leaves were cancelled to facilitate concerted efforts to overcome the crisis.
Water from Pattiseema should cater to drinking water needs and ID crops, he suggested to the officials, adding that water from Pulichintala and Pattiseema must be conserved exclusively for drinking water purpose until June 2027 if Nagarjuna Sagar receives no water inflow this season.
Water Resources Department advisor Venkateswara Rao and Engineer-in-Chief K. Narasimha Murthy participated in the teleconference.
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