VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to manage the water sources of the irrigation projects properly and ensure that there is no shortage of water.
He was reviewing the preparations by the agriculture department for cultivation during the Kharif season in AP on Wednesday. Officials of the agriculture and irrigation department participated in the meeting held at the Secretariat on Wednesday.
Officials explained the irrigation water release plan to the CM. They said water was released to the Godavari delta on June 1. Water release started on July 3 through Pattiseema, Pushkara, Tatipudi and Purushottamapatnam. There is no water availability in Pulichinthala. Hence Krishna Delta will be irrigated by the water from Pattiseema,” they said.
The officials reported to the CM that the rains this season “are good” despite the heat wave in June. At present, the rains were at the expected level. “Only 45 mandals are rain-deficient and an average of 50 per cent excess rainfall has been recorded.”
In this season till now 4,14,490 lakh acres were to be cultivated while 3,04,604 acres have been cultivated, they said.
Naidu said cultivation has become burdensome due to the previous government’s policies. “Farmers having the most debts in the country are our farmers. Cultivation costs should be reduced through government subsidies and policies.”
The CM said the previous TD government used to conduct regular soil tests and provide nutrients to the farmers. Drip subsidies had been given on a large scale in drought-prone areas like Rayalaseema. However, the management of the projects was poor during the YSRC term. The gates of dams were not even greased, he said.
“You have to change the whole situation and ensure better management of the projects and water utilization,” he told the officials.
The CM suggested that the Zero Budget Natural Farming, which was undertaken in 2018, has been ignored. A revival of this would be attempted at.
He said a study should be done on the spraying of insecticides by use of drones. There should be an end to the excessive use of pesticides to the crops. Officials should advise the farmers as to which pesticide should be used.
Naidu said the neglect of the agriculture sector in the state should stop. Even the silt had not been removed from the canals for the past five years, he said.
The Chief Minister called for the removal of water hyacinth and algae creepers from all the crop canals. “We must draw more water from the Krishna river to Rayalaseema and make use of the Godavari flood water for the Krishna delta.”
He advised officials to restore the crop insurance system. The insurance system would continue with the participation of farmers, he said.
Naidu said that while the Aqua sector registered a 29 per cent growth during the previous Telugu Desam government, it had reduced to 13 per cent under the YSRC term. If there was a 17 per cent growth to horticulture, it too decreased in the past five years. Give more priority to aqua and horticulture, he asked the officials.
IAS officials should go to the fields from the secretariat and talk to the farmers directly, he said.
The CM suggested that necessary instructions should be given to the paddy farmers and they should be made aware of the new cultivation methods. Agriculture minister K Atchannaidu and officials participated in the review.
