Drip irrigation to benefit farmers: AP Ministers

Hyderabad, June 21 (UNI) Ruling out withdrawal of the Government Order making drips or sprinklers mandatory in all major lift irrigation projects, the Andhra Pradesh Government today dismissed as ''politically-motivated'' the stir by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) against the GO.

After Maharashtra with 7.50 lakh acres, the state had maximum extent of 6.50 lakh acres of land under drip irrigation system, an universally-popular farming practice for efficient use of water, Major Irrigation Minister P Lakshmaiah and Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy told a press conference here today.

Farmers in Telangana had every right to adopt modern technology to bring maximum extent of land under irrigation, they asserted, adding the TRS stir was a desperate attempt at getting political mileage by whipping up emotional sentiments of the people.

TRS President K Chandrasekhara Rao did not oppose the Kuppam drip irrigation project with Israel technology when he was a minister during the TDP regime, they recalled, adding the former did not register his dissent when he was in the Manmohan Singh cabinet, which accorded top priority to popularising drip irrigation system in the country.

Accepting the TRS' challenge to come for a public debate, they said the ruling party was prepared for it during the coming monsoon session of the state assembly.

The lift irrigation projects with drip irrigation component were taken only after approval by the Central Water Commission and the Union Planning Commission after assessment of the cost benefit ratio, they pointed out.

On the TRS demand for region-wise irrigation projects, Mr Lakshmaiah said Telangana would get a maximum of 891.59 TMC under various projects contemplated across the river Godavari and Andhra 582.83 TMC. In the Krishna basin, Telangana would get 387.48 TMC water under various projects, Andhra region 395.54 TMC and 242.84 TMC in Rayalaseema, he added.

UNI