Evolve action plans to fill reservoirs, DCs told

On Monday, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu directed District Collectors to formulate a comprehensive action plan to ensure reservoirs and ponds are filled efficiently to maximize water usage.
During a review of the state’s water resources at a Collectors’ conference, the Chief Minister emphasised the importance of promoting crops that require minimal water. He instructed the Collectors to ensure the timely filling of all drinking water tanks across the state and set a goal of providing irrigation water to every acre of farmland.
Highlighting the necessity of interlinking the state’s five major rivers—the Krishna, Godavari, Pennar, Nagavali, and Vamsadhara—along with 35 smaller rivers and 38,422 minor irrigation facilities, Mr. Naidu stressed the importance of utilizing every available drop of water during the current rainy season. With four crore acres needing irrigation across 26 districts, he urged for efficient water use.
The Chief Minister also called for a review of lift irrigation schemes that can be revived with minimal expenditure and instructed the Collectors to collaborate with the Agricultural Department to promote high-yield crops that use less irrigation water.
He underscored the importance of supplying irrigation water to even the tail-end areas and instructed Collectors to carefully monitor canal water releases and make timely decisions.
Naidu stressed the active participation of the Irrigation, Revenue, Police, and Rural Water Supply departments, as well as other relevant bodies. He criticized the previous administration for failing to allocate funds for essential infrastructure, such as gates for irrigation projects, and warned that any negligence leading to the loss of gates would result in the suspension of the Assistant Engineer and Deputy Engineer responsible.
Reiterating the need for river interlinking, the Chief Minister urged Collectors to use drones to monitor canals and irrigation projects, stating that any failures or mistakes could reflect poorly on the government, which he is keen to avoid