Release Srisailam water into Sagar dam, CPI asks Govt

Vijayawada, Sept 21 :

 The Communist Party of India (Cpi) on Monday demanded that the Rosaiah Government order for the immediate release of Srisailam water  into the Nagarjunasagar dam to help irrigate 22 lakh acres in the ensuing Rabi.

The Cpi state secretary and national executive member, Dr K Narayana, told media persons here that 22 lakh acres of Nagarjunasagar ayacut covering the districts of  Khammam, Guntur, Nalgonda and Krishna is in dire straits due to inadequate rain and there is insufficient water in the reservoir.

 
Dr Narayana said that the State Government should take some urgent steps to release water from Srisailam reservoir into the Nagarjunasagar. The inflows into the Sraisalam were much satisfactory as the catchment areas had received copious rains, he felt.

 He suggested that the State Government release the surplus inflows into Sagar dam immediately and save the farmers from the current situation. He said though the Major and Minor Irrigation Minister , Mr Ponnala Lakshmiah , had claimed that  water had been released to Nagarjunasagar ayacut area, in reality no water has reached the fields till now. The Cpi has also resolved to take up the issue at the party’s executive meeting, Dr Narayana added.