According to a rough estimate, 60 to 100 new borewells were being drilled by the farmers to save their crops in ayacut and non-ayacut when their existing borewells dried up
Published Date – 19 February 2024, 07:33 PM
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Nalgonda: Nalgonda district gained worldwide recognition not just for fluorosis, but also for high concentration of borewells.
After a 10 years gap, farmers are now opting to go for drilling of borewells in high numbers with irrigation facility being stopped to ayacut of Nagarjuna Sagar Project and AMRP canal.
Over 25 lakh borewells existed in 7,122 square meters geographical area that means 28 borewells in each square meter. Some of the farmers drilled more than 100 borewells to check their luck to get water for agriculture, which drew the attention of the media.
Now, a crop holiday was declared to ayacut of NSP by the state government, first time after formation of Telangana state i.e. after 10 years due to water level in NSP fell down to 517 feet, which was seven feet away from the dead storage level of 510 feet. The groundwater level also drastically fell down with non-filing of irrigation tanks with Krishna waters through AMRP canal and deficit rainfall reported in the district.
According to a rough estimate, 60 to 100 new borewells were being drilled by the farmers to save their crops in ayacut and non-ayacut as their existing borewells dried up.
According to the figures of ground water department, water table fell down to 15.62 meters in Chandampet mandal, 9.59 meters in Chinthapally, 8.2 meters in Devarakonda, 6.56 meters in Gundlapally, 12.85 meters in Neredugumma, 6.68 meters in PA Pally, 6.29 meters in Adavidevulapally, 4.70 meters in Damaracherla, 7.4 meters in Madgulapally, 7.76 meters in Miryalaguda, 8.04 meters in Nidmanoor, 10.35 meters in Peddavoora, 7.31 in Thirumalgir(Sagar), 7.80 meters in Thripuraram, 10.25 meters in Chandur, 12.30 meters in Chityal 6.91 meters in Kanagal, 9.86 meters in Kattangur, 10.46 meters in Gurrampode, 10.49 meters in Marriguda, 6.06 meters in Nampally, 7.47 meters in Neredugumma, 7.79 meters in Kethepally, 6.06 meters in Munugode, 7.74 meters in Nakrekal and 7.79 meters in Nalgonda, 8.45 meters in Narketoally, 6.68 meters in Shaligowrarm and 7.12 meters in Thipparthy mandal.
The groundwater table significantly fell down in the ayacut area of NSP left canal, AMRP canal, ayacut area of Musi project and surrounding villages of Shaligowraram reservoir in the district, which was definitely a warning signal to the water scarcity in the coming summer season.
Speaking to Telangana Today, Kondereddy Jalander Reddy, who owns a lemon crop in three acres at Vallala, said that two borewells in his agriculture fields dried up and two new borewells were drilled, which gave no water for which he had to spend Rs 60,000. To save his lemon farm, he was supplying water to the plants through a water tanker once a week. Seven water tankers of water would be required to wet his lemon farm for which would cost Rs 2,000 per week, as he has “no other option”.
Another farmer Kararu Mallaiah, who owns two acres of agricultural land at Theluvarigudem said that he decided to drill two new borewells as the existing one dried up. His act made him lose Rs 60,000, but of no use, he said. “It’s a sorry state of affairs for me. I thought the paddy crop in his two acres of agricultural land was going to completely dry up in 10 days”, he rued.
Farmers at Mushampally, located less than 12 kilometers away from the district headquarters are drilling borewells in the dried up irrigation tank of the village. A farmer, on the condition of anonymity, said that their hopes were also not spoiled that the water level in the borewells was not sufficient to pump to their agricultural fields, which is 300 meters away.
