Warabandi leaves tail-end crops parched

Khammam: Farmers in various mandals in the district have been having problems with irrigation officials’ use of warabandi, a cyclic technique for distributing water, to crops.

Farmers in the back of NSP’s major and smaller canals are complaining that their fields don’t receive enough water. Due to a lack of irrigation, the rabi crops are wilting, and when summer heats up, the situation will only worsen, they say.

Notably, water is scarce for rabi crops in more than 2,500 acres of tail-end lands under NSP ayacut in Yerrupalem, Kallur, Bonakal, Chintakani, Penuballi, and Tallada, according to Telangana Rythu Sangham district secretary Bonthu Rambabu.

He requested that the warabandi be relaxed by the irrigation officials. “Water is currently released every other week. In order to prevent crop drying out, which could have a serious impact on farmers, water should be provided for two weeks and then stopped for one week,” he suggested.

Reduced water in wells, tanks, and ponds is another issue that farmers are dealing with. “Sagar water should be used to irrigate the district’s ponds and tanks, and farmers should be informed about the measures that should be done to prevent water waste,” said Rambabu.

Rapalle main is one of the dried-up canals. In an effort to safeguard their crops, farmers are pumping water from far locations using oil engines, which puts further financial strain on them. Rambabu observed that compared to the previous season, a greater area is being used for crop cultivation this rabi season. “Now, the maize crop is in the seed-bearing stage. As a result, more irrigation water would be required. The more intense the heat, the more strain would be placed on irrigation water,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Babu, the irrigation CE, was recently met by the Sangham leaders, who requested that he act quickly to ease warabandi.

“There should be a speedy and peaceful resolution to the continuing conflict between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh regarding the distribution of water in the Krishna basin between Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar,” said Rambabu; heopined that the matter would grow complex if the Centre was permitted to get involved.