KAKINADA: Farmers have decided to leave 50,000 acres of arable land fallow for the kharif season in Uppalaguptam, Allavaram, Katrenikona, Mummidivaram, I Polavaram, Mamidikuduru, Sakhinetipalli and Razole mandals of Konaseema district as desiltation works in canals are yet to be taken up.
President of Konaseema Rythu Parirakshana Sangam Yalla Bramhanandam and secretary Aithabattula Uma Maheswara Rao held several meetings with farmers in the eight mandals, urging them to go for a crop holiday. The farmers are aggrieved that though the government has directed officials to release water for irrigation from June 1, the irrigation department has not desilted the canals yet.
Usually, the department begins clearing silt and aquatic weed in canals from March-end. The major drain Kunavaram-Vasalatippa is also yet to be desilted. This can lead to clogging of water which can further stagnate in the fields and damage the crop. As the government has not yet paid for the crop procured during Rabi-2022 through RBKs, it has become difficult for farmers to cultivate kharif crop.