1 week ago
Anantapur Prioritises Drinking Water as Super El Niño Deepens Shortages
Anantapur is facing a serious shortage of water because there has been too little rain.
Minister Payyavula Keshav held a meeting to decide how to protect the available water.
The district was expected to receive 16 TMC from the Tungabhadra Dam, but only 9–10 TMC has been realized.
Another 4 TMC is available through the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi system.
Officials said the remaining water should mainly be saved for people to drink.
This means canal water cannot currently be provided for farming.
Farmers were asked to grow crops that need less water, such as sorghum, maize, and red gram.
Officials must also collect information about borewell-dependent farmland within three days, while further water-allocation decisions await a Krishna River Management Board meeting.
Minister Payyavula Keshav said drinking water needs will receive top priority amid severe rainfall deficits.
Tungabhadra Dam water realization has fallen to 9–10 TMC from an allocated 16 TMC.
An additional 4 TMC allocation from Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi leaves reserves needing strict protection.
Officials said canal water cannot currently be released for irrigation.
Farmers were urged to avoid paddy and chilli and consider sorghum, maize, and red gram.
- Who
- State Minister Payyavula Keshav, MP Ambica Lakshminarayana, District Collector O Anand, and water and agriculture officials.
- What
- Officials reviewed water supplies and decided to prioritize drinking water over irrigation amid rainfall deficits.
- Where
- Nallampalli in Kanekal Mandal, Anantapur.
- When
- Tuesday evening; borewell-dependent land data was ordered within three days.
- Why
- Water availability has declined because of evaporation and severe rainfall deficits attributed in the article to the ‘Super El Niño’ phenomenon.
Key facts
- Tungabhadra allocation
- 16 TMC
- Tungabhadra realization
- 9–10 TMC
- HNSS allocation
- 4 TMC
- Immediate priority
- Drinking water
- Irrigation status
- Canal water cannot currently be released for irrigation
- Suggested crops
- Sorghum, maize, and red gram
- Data deadline
- Three days for collecting borewell-dependent land data through e-Panta
Sources
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