Koil Sagar farmers on warpath for water

Mahbubnagar: Koil Sagar Project ayacut farmers, who forcibly diverted water bound for Palamuru to their fields without project authorities’ permission on Saturday last, stepped up their protest on Thursday and staged a rasta roko in front of the old bus station at Devarakadra demanding release of drinking and irrigation water immediately.

Following the Saturday’s incident police security is beefed up near the project. The ayacut farmers question why they are being marginalised at the cost of Mahbubnagar residents. In all, people from 25 villages took part in the demonstration. They stepped up the agitation as their dharna in front of the Collectorate since Saturday last did not bear fruit.

The Koil Sagar Project ayacut farmers’ association president Umamaheswar Reddy threatened the government of intensifying the agitation further if water was not released to them. His contention was that the authorities were releasing more than the stipulated 0.5 tmc ft of water to Mahbubnagar town to quench the people’s thirst.

Currently, water level stood at 12ft in the project. They have been pleading with the officials to release only 2ft of water, but in vain. Meanwhile, the Congress and TDP pledged their support with the agitating farmers taking part in the dharna and rasta roko.

Pavan Kumar Reddy of the Congress and K Dayakar Reddy of the TDP attributed the current imbroglio to the officials failing to hold the Irrigation Development Board meeting on time. They pledged to side with the farmers till justice was done to them.

As the district farmers are locked in Krishna water dispute with Karnataka and RDS controversy with the neighbouring Kurnool district, the officials are worried about the latest Koil Sagar incident. It is high time Major Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao intervened and put full stop to the controversy.