Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today urged Andhra Pradesh Government to take steps to release waters 8 lift irrigation schemes comprising 30000 acres functioning under Dr KL Rao Pulichntala project.
In a letter addressed to his AP counterpart D Uma Maheshwar Rao he asked to protect the standing crops under Pulichintala project in Mellacheruvu and Mattampally mandals in Nalgonda district. He asked Rao to maintain MDDL for two to three weeks to protect standing crops and enable TS government to relocate four lift schemes. As the project has below pumping level of waters at +32.77 with capacity of 1.1557 tmc at Pulichintala project whichis well below the MDDL of +42.670 where the capacity of the reservoir is 9.540 tmc he said. Keeping this in view the AP Government has to take steps to protect the standing crops in Nalgonda district he said. The farmers are in agitating mode as the standing crops of 30000 acres facing water crisis since the AP Government is yet to take steps to protect the same. We have already written a letter in this regard and there is no response he said and asked Uma Maheshwar Rao to take immediate steps. (NSS)