VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Minister Ambati Rambabu released irrigation water from the Pulichintala project to the Krishna Delta on Friday ahead of the Kharif season on Friday from the Prakasam Barrage. The water was released simultaneously for both Krishna's eastern and western deltas. For the first time in Andhra Pradesh's history water was released from the Prakasam Barrage to Krishna Delta ahead of Khariff season. Around 1,500 cusecs of irrigation water to the eastern delta and 500 cusecs to the western delta were released.

As per reports in The Hindu, there is an ayacut of 5,30,498 acres under the Krishna eastern delta, while it is 5,53,896 acres under Krishna western delta. Krishna delta has about 13 lakh acre of ayacut in Krishna, West Godavari, Guntur and Prakasam districts. The water received from the Nagarjuna Sagar Project, Pulichintala Project dam and Wazinepalli serves the needs of these deltas.

Along with Ambati Rambabu and Minister for Housing Jogi Ramesh and MLCs, MLAs and other people’s representatives and Collector S Dilli Rao participated in the event. Monsoon winds are slated to enter AP in the next two days. The government has already released irrigation water in the Godavari delta from June 1. Kharif will be completed in November with the early release of irrigation water and the second crop is likely to be planted in December.