JANGAON: Hundreds of acres of paddy and maize crops are withering in Palakurthy, Devaruppula and Kodakandla mandals of Jangaon district due to severe water shortage during the ongoing Yasangi season. The situation has become so dire that farmers are leaving their cattle to graze in their agricultural fields.
According to farmers, there is not enough water either in borewells or agricultural wells, resulting in crops drying up in the fields. They appealed to officials to release water from the Nawapet and Station Ghanpur reservoirs to the upper catchment areas in these mandals to save the standing crops.
B Ramdan, a farmer from Lakawat Thanda in Devaruppula mandal, said even borewells had dried up and that he was not receiving a single drop of water to save the standing crop. “With no other option, I have left the paddy crop in my two acres for cattle grazing. The dried crop has caused losses running into lakhs,” he said, appealing to the state government to provide compensation and take steps to save the remaining crops.
Speaking to TNIE, Circle Irrigation Superintendent Engineer B Sitharam said water was being released through canals from the Nawapet, Ashwaraopally and Station Ghanpur reservoirs to the agricultural sector in the district since January 8. However, he said farmers depending on borewells and agricultural wells in the upper catchment areas might still face water shortage.
He added that the Devadula project pump house motors were functioning and lifting water.
Meanwhile, former minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao on Monday inspected the withered paddy crop in Malya Thanda under Dharamapur village in Devaruppula mandal. He also contacted Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and requested him to take immediate steps to release water from the Station Ghanpur reservoir into the 4L canal to save the crops.