The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘Gap ayacut’ in Southern States referred to experts panel

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 16, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Gap ayacut’ in Southern States referred to experts panel

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The Union Government has constituted a committee with experts from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, to look into the issue of the inability of several irrigation projects in Southern States to supply water to tail-end areas. The committee has been asked to submit a report suggesting ways to overcome the problem.

The committee is expected to make field visits to the States, including Andhra Pradesh, shortly. Under almost all the projects in the South, the ayacut covered always fell short of the irrigation potential created, leading what is generally referred to as “gap ayacut”.

Unbridgeable gap

The canal network even under major projects like Nagarjunasagar and Sriramsagar is unable to fill this gap.

Major Irrigation Minister P. Lakshmaiah, who informed the Assembly about the Central initiative on Thursday, told this correspondent later that the Government was likely to launch a scheme to fill gap ayacut after receipt of the experts committee report, allowing funds to the States.

Meanwhile, the Minister asked officials to make arrangements for recruitment of laskaris and work inspectors, the ground level workers who operate on vents of field channels and distributaries to ensure supply of water to crops as the existing strength of these employees is far short of the requirement.

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