KARIMNAGAR: Due to lack of irrigation water facilities, farmers in Gangadhara, Boinpally, Ramadugu, and Malyala mandals in Jagtial district are struggling to protect their standing crops. Farmers who got water from the nearby Flood Flow Canal (FFC) are laying pump set motor lines to lift water. However, the canal water has also decreased and almost dried up. As a result, thousands of acres of standing crops are at risk.
The investigation by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) into the barrages of the Kaleshwaram project has led to the barrages being emptied, halting water lifting from pump houses.
It should be noted that if water was lifted from the Kaleshwaram project, it would flow through canals and the FFC, ensuring irrigation facilities and improving groundwater levels in nearby villages.
Meanwhile, farmers staged a protest on NH563 (Jagtial – Karimnagar) on Tuesday, demanding the release of water from SRSP or Yellampalli through the Gayatri pump house into the FFC to assist farmers. Rajaiaha, from Achampalli village in Ramadugu mandal, stated that a week’s worth of water would be sufficient to protect their standing crops, otherwise, 90% of the crops would be lost.
They raised slogans of “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’’ and blocked NH563. The police intervened and cleared the roadblock after some time. Farmers suggested diverting water from the Yellampalli project into the FFC through Medaram and Gayatri pump houses for irrigation, which would also improve groundwater levels in surrounding villages.
Former MP B Vinod Kumar inspected weathered crops at Rahimkhanpet in Rajanna-Sircilla district. He criticised the government for neglecting the farmers’ plight. He pointed out that at Medigadda, Godavari water, with a flow of 5,000 cusecs per day, is being wasted and flowing into the sea.
Former Choppadandi MLA Sunke Ravishankar alleged that during the BRS’s regime, the FFC was full year-round, and farmers were able to produce two crops. However, after the Congress government came to power, farmers have been facing issues similar to those of 10 years ago.