Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: The Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has declined to give permission to the Gujarat government to install piers and gates in the Narmada dam, which would take the height of the dam to the final 138.68 meters from 121.92 meters.

The NCA in its meeting, chaired by Water Resources Secretary U.N. Panjiyar, decided that no permission would be given until the Rehabilitation and Resettlement sub-group and the Environmental sub-group were consulted.

Karimnagar, Aug. 27: In an effort to expedite the ongoing development works in the vast Manthani division comprising several backward villages, which hitherto remained the citadels of the Naxal outfits, the district administration has laid focus on executing works including the soon-to-be launched lift irrigation scheme at Kaleshwaram in Mahadevpur mandal on a priority basis.

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, is likely to launch the lift irrigation scheme at Metpalli near Kaleshwaram in the next fortnight, sources said.

The state government is contemplating hiking stamp duty to generate revenue to complete irrigation projects across Maharashtra which is reeling under severe water and agriculture crises. What has compounded the problems for the state is the long dry spell because of delayed monsoon which led to a loss of kharif crop last month. Deputy chief minister RR Patil said, "We will require Rs44,000 crore to complete all irrigation projects in the state.'

Sudheer Pal Singh / New Delhi August 25, 2008, 0:49 IST

The country's energy deficit is likely to improve as hydro power stations are in a position to ramp up their generation capacity following healthy rainfall in the second fortnight of July, wiping out initial shortfall in rains.

The cumulative storage position of the 81 major reservoirs in the country has more than doubled to 74.3 billion cubic metres (bcm) at the end of the second week of August, compared with 33.38 bcm a month earlier, according to the latest data available from the Ministry of Water Resources.

Khammam, Aug. 24: The farmers of the Nagarjunasagar project left canal second zone ayacut wanted the government to announce the date of releasing water to their zone. The government started releasing water to the first zone on August 13 but did not announce the details of the second zone water release. The farm operations started under the ayacut area of various minor and medium irrigation projects inclu-ding Bayyaram tank, Peda-vagu, Taliperu, Wyra, Palair and Kinnerasani.

More than 100 growers of Imam minor, Sobhodero taluka staged a sit-in on Sobhodero-Saghiyoon Road on Saturday in protest against irrigation water shortage since last four months. They also burnt tyres and raised slogans against the authorities.

Later, they reached the press club and observed hunger strike.

Arab Mangnejo, Khadim and others told reporters that their crops, including cotton and sugarcane were being damaged due to water shortage.

They also informed of having met irrigation officials several times but their problems remain where these were.

A large number of farmers celebrated the irrigation water supply after a decade's suspension to 30 villages situated at Moongi distributary of lower Gogera branch canal near Gojra on Thursday.

Farmers arranged a reception for DCO Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf and irrigation department officials at the Moongi rest house.

Addressing the gathering, the DCO said that 60 outlets of this distributary had either been broken or closed on account of water theft and silt.

The Punjab Water Council (PWC) has demanded dismissal of Irrigation Minister Raja Riaz allegedly for working against interests of the province. Raja Riaz who is the senior PPP minister in the Punjab government categorically stated here on Wednesday that Punjab should forget construction of the controversial mega Kalabagh dam on river Indus.

The Executive Committee of Punjab Water Council held an emergency meeting here on Thursday and said that the Punjab Assembly has already passed a resolution favouring the immediate construction of Kalabagh Dam.