Roads and Buildings Minister Dadisetti Raja on Tuesday said that early commencement of Kharif operations would prevent crop loss due to incessant rains during the winter in the Godavari delta.

Addressing a gathering of irrigation engineers and district officials at a joint meeting of the Irrigation and Agriculture Advisory Boards of Kakinada district, Mr. Raja said that the paddy harvesting is likely to be completed before the rains in the winter in the Kharif 2022.

“Over the past decade, the delay in the commencement of Kharif operations has witnessed a major loss of standing crops due to the rains in the winter. The crop loss from the rains will be prevented in the ensuing Kharif,” said Mr. Raja. 

Superintendent Engineer (Dowleswaram Circle) B. Rambabu said that 2,93,000 acres of land under the Dowleswaram irrigation circle would get irrigation facility from the major irrigation sources in Kakinada district. However, the medium irrigation projects would irrigate 22,000 acres and small projects would irrigate above 52,000 acres.

Kakinada Collector Krithika Shukla said that a plan would be prepared to share and supply the irrigation water across the Kakinada district for the Kharif season. 

Ms. Krithika appealed to the agriculture department officials to create awareness on early Kharif operations. Kakinada MP Vanga Geetha and East Godavari District Zilla Parishad chairman Vipparthi Venu Gopal were present. 

Source - https://www.thehindu.com