Paddy crop under lift irrigation withering

By Ch. Rama Rao

CHIRALA, NOV. 10. Due to late release of water into Commamur Canal and irregular power supply, paddy crop raised in 50 per cent of the area is withering while the transplantation in the rest of the area has not been taken up till now, says Mr. Jagarlamudi Satyanarayana Babu, president, Prakasam district Private Lift Irrigation Association Society. ``Give us power and save our crops'' is the slogan in all the villages.

The farmers of Pothukatla, Veerannapalem, Kunkalamarru, Karemchedu, Swarna, Santharavuru, Kodavalivaripalem, Neelayapalem and Chinnaganjam have been raising paddy in about 20,000 acres of land on the western side of Commamur canal by installing pump- sets on the right bank of Commamur canal since 1946. They have organised 33 societies and have been successfully cultivating the land at the tail end of the Commamur canal in Prakasam district.

Though the land was subsequently included in the Nagarjuna Sagar project ayacut, it continues to be irrigated under lift irrigation with water from Commamur canal, as the possibility of getting water from NSP is very remote, being at the far tail-end. The farmers made several representations to the Government to transfer the land to K.W.D. ayacut and the present Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, it is said, has assured them that he would look into their request sympathetically.

Normally water is released into Commamur canal either towards the end of June or in early July to facilitate the raising of nurseries in time to complete the transplantation by the first week of August. This year 82 breaches had occurred in Commamur canal due to unprecedented rains in August, throwing the entire irrigation system out of gear in K.W.D.

Mr. J. Anil Babu, president, K.W.D. distributory committee - 7, says the breaches were closed and the water was let in by September 24, 2000. The kharif season was delayed by nearly two months. He says the water users committee has worked out a strategy to build up water level from Pedaganjam locks at the tail end to the upper reaches, so that the transplantation is taken up simultaneously in the K.W.D. and thereby avoiding water problem to the tail-enders. ``All these efforts have gone waste due to irregular power supply'' laments Mr. Anil Babu.

Although the Government has been announcing day in and day out that it would ensure 9 hours of uninterrupted power supply to farmers, it is observed more in breach than in reality, says Mr. Satyanarayana Babu. He said power is made available in two instalments - once for six hours and a second time for three hours. It takes minimum six hours to build up water level and by the time the water has to reach the fields, power goes off and the farmers are not able to water the plantation.

On account of Varabandi (rotation system), the farmers get their turn once in three days and again their efforts end up with building up water levels. On the face of these problems, the farmers are hesitant to take up plantation in another 10,000 acres of land lest they too face similar problems.As the transplantation was initiated towards the end of the kharif season, the farmers can raise only late-kharif or early rabi, ensuring to themselves only one crop this year, if water is available. Since the pump sets were not put to use till the middle of October, Mr. Satyanarayana Babu appeals to the Government to make available power for 18 hours a day as compensation till the end of February to ensure at least one crop to the farmers under lift irrigation.

Although the farmers are paying slab rates throughout the year, they are not using the power even for six months, Mr. Satyanarayana Babu says. Why not they go in for generators? Mr. Satyanarayana Babu says it costs Rs. 5,000 a day to use a diesel generator and the overheads for over- stretch to hike the production cost at a time when the farmers are languishing for want of minimum guarantee price.

Mr. Anil Babu prefers the fixation of meters for power supply to farmers and collection of charges according to the meter reading as it would ensure 24 hours' power supply to the farmers.

The farmers of lift irrigation under K.W.D., who belong to middle and lower middle class families, appear despondent whether they would be able to reap one crop successfully at least to serve their fodder needs.

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Section  : Southern States
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