SIDDIPET: Harmony in Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s native village of Chintamadaka was disturbed on Saturday morning when farmers from several villages picked up an argument with the locals on noticing that the water flowing downstream from the Kaleshwaram main canal was stopped. According to the farmers of the other villages, the water from the main canal was diverted to a tank in Chintamadaka, denying water downstream, late on Friday night. One of them said they found no water in the main canal when they went to their farms the next morning, after which they all gathered in Chintamadaka.
They questioned the blocking of the main canal but the farmers of KCR’s village told them clearly that they would not let the water downstream until the village tank was full. As tension escalated, the local farmers called police, who in turn alerted the officials of the Kaleshwaram project. The officials rushed to the spot when the two groups were on the verge of turning violent.
Police and the irrigation officials had a tough time convincing both the sides, but finally pacified the farmers of Chintamadaka. They told them that blocking the water supply was a crime. The officials also told them that if they unilaterally stop the water, the farmers downstream of Chintamadaka would be badly affected. After seeing reason in the officials’ argument, the Chintamadaka farmers relented and allowed them to restore the water flow.