Farmers demand water for Yasangi

Luxettipet: Farmers of various villages in the mandal staged protest on roads demanding irrigation water for their paddy crop in the Yasangi season. They blocked the national highway an interrupted the traffic for two hours on Friday.

Anticipating water from Gudem lift irrigation scheme, farmers of various villages prepared to sow paddy in 20 thousand acres in this Yasangi. Some of them completed planting and some are ready for planting.

The pipelines which supplied water in last season are now damaged and not yet repaired till now. Farmers took this issue to the notice of people’s representatives and officials but in vain. Meanwhile, the fields are getting dry and turning barren and unfit for the crops. The panic farmers took to roads and voiced their woes. “The only way left for us is to commit suicide by consuming pesticide. Otherwise government has to pay back our loss,” lament some farmers.

Circle inspector Prathap, SI Sammaiah rushed to the spot and tried to convince the protesting farmers to withdraw from the roads. They did not give up until Tahsildar Srinivas, J E Ashwin held discussions with the farmers and assured them that they would take the issue to the notice of government and resolve the issue.

The Telangan Jala Sadhana Samithi (TJSS) inspected and found that there were three leakages in the pipelines even after taking up repairs. President of the TJSS Nainala Govardhan demanded that second gravity canal at Mandakini (Kadem) should be built so that water could be released up to Chennur.

Pranahitha Project Parirakshana Vedika convenor K V Prathap, Dheeti Ravi, Thota Rambabu, farmers Tirupati, Ravi, Manda Rajaih and others present.