Water released from Nagarjuna Sagar left canal; benefit for 6.5 lakh acres

HYDERABAD: With the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir filled to its capacity, Telangana Energy Minister Jagdish Reddy on Thursday released water to the left canal. He was accompanied by MLAs Nomula Bhagat and Sanampudi Saidi Reddy, MLCs YMC Kotireddy, District Rythu Coordinating Committee chief Ramachandra Naik and others.

The minister offered special prayers and presented silk robes to the river goddess Krishna before speaking to the media. He said that for the first time in over a decade, water was released to Nagarjuna Sagar's left canal in the month of July.

He announced that, on instructions from Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, the government was planning to irrigate 6.50 lakh acres of agricultural lands. About 6.16 lakh acres in Nalgonda, Suryapet and Khammam districts under the Left Canal will be cultivated. This includes 1.45,727 acres in Nalgonda district, 1,45,727 acres in Suryapet district, 2,41,000 acres in Khammam district, Jagdish Reddy added.

The water from the left canal will be shared between three districts with 18 TMCs for Nalgonda district, 18 TMCs for Suryapet district and 29 TMCs for Khammam district respectively. The minister said that the Telangana government was acting as per the rules regarding the share of Krishna water thus helping the farmers. The Sagar Reservoir, it is reported, has received more inflows as compared to last year.