Minister for Tourism and Culture Kandula Durgesh along with public representatives of the Godavari Delta on Sunday released Godavari water from Sir Arthur Cotton barrage at Dowleswaram, kick-starting Kharif operations in the delta region. 

In the first phase, the water released will cover 2.63 lakh acres of agricultural land in the Godavari Delta, with 85,000 acres in the eastern delta, 41,000 acres under the Nidadavolu and Kovvuru canals and 1.37 lakh acres in the Kakinada district.

Addressing the gathering of farmers here, Mr. Durgesh said, “The farmers have to manage the water to prepare for the early Kharif operations. ₹13 crore is being spent on repairing the irrigation canals and 80% of the work is over. In the second phase, those canals will be the water for the Kharif operations.”

Rajya Sabha Member Sana Satish, Kakinada Member of Parliament Tangella Uday Srinivas and Amalapuram MP G. Harish Madhur, who were present when the water was released, assured to begin the renovation works of Sir Arthur Cotton barrage within a few months. 

Godavari Eastern Delta Project Committee Chairman Mooralasetty Sunil Kumar, Western Delta Project Committee Chairman Muralikrishna Raju, Dowleswaram Irrigation Circle Superintendent Engineer G. Srinivasa Rao and other officials reviewed the availability of water and action plan to supply the water for the Kharif operations in the entire Godavari Delta.