GUNTUR: The Guntur District Irrigation Advisory Board meeting on Sunday ratified a resolution to request the State Government to release water from Prakasam Barrage till April 15 to raise maize crop in the Krishna western delta.

Minister for Cooperation and Transport Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, chairing the meeting, said all the MLAs, farmers and Agriculture Department officials were of the opinion that maize should be raised on a large scale and for that water should be released from December 15 to April 15.

This matter was put before Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Chief Minister Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy for their consideration and they were positive in their response, said Mr. Lakshmi Narayana.

Second crop

"For Dalwa (second crop) irrigated dry crop is being advised by the agriculture department experts, hence we request all farmers to raise maize or some other crop instead of paddy," he said.

About 2.16 lakh acres of paddy got damaged during cyclone Ogni and now about 37,573 acres of maize was being proposed to be raised to reduce power consumption.

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