Godavari canal floods fields, ryots lock up irrigation office

Nidadavole (West Godavari): Protesting release of large quantity of water into Godavari main canal which led to inundation of hundreds of acres of their fields in Nidadavole and Chagallu mandals, farmers laid a siege to irrigation section office at Settipeta in Nidadavole mandal of West Godavari district on Wednesday morning.

Godavari western delta irrigation officials released huge amount of water from Vijjeswaram barrage into Godavari main canal on Wednesday morning, following heavy inflows into river Godavari. The officials said the inflows into Godavari are on rise following heavy rains in upstream States. The officials, who have been releasing 5,000 cusecs per day into the canal from barrage, increased the quantity to 7,500 cusecs on Wednesday.

The excess water in the canal inundated standing crops in 750 acres in Chagallu and Nidadavole mandals. Frustrated over the inundation, farmers of Chagallu, Brahmanagudem, Daravaram and Samisragudem reached Settipeta irrigation office, drove all the employees out of the office and locked it in protest. They raised slogans against the officials for their negligence.

They said that they had lost the crop which was in harvesting stage and demanded that the officials minimise the release of water immediately. After being alerted by the irrigation officials, Nidadavole Sub Inspector Bhagavan Prasad and his personnel reached the Settipeta irrigation office and held talks with the agitating farmers.

After three hours, police managed to persuade angry farmers to withdraw the agitation as the irrigation officials agreed to reduce water being released.