After Gadwal, Suryapet farmer sets crop ablaze as water, power crisis deepens

A tenant farmer in Telangana’s Suryapet district set fire to his standing crop after inadequate irrigation water and electricity supply caused three of his four leased acres to wither. The incident highlights mounting distress and financial burdens among struggling farmers

Nalgonda: In yet another incident highlighting the growing distress among Telangana farmers, a farmer in Suryapet district set his standing crop on fire on Monday after it withered due to inadequate irrigation water and electricity supply.

The incident comes days after a farmer in Jogulamba Gadwal district burned his paddy crop spread over 20 acres, reportedly frustrated over the lack of water to save his harvest.

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In Atmakur (S) mandal headquarters of Suryapet district, tenant farmer Yatakula Mallaiah set his crop ablaze after three of the four acres he had taken on lease dried up due to insufficient water and power supply to operate his borewell.

Despite the crop nearing the harvesting stage, Mallaiah could not save it as the water shortage and inadequate electricity supply took a toll on his cultivation.

The crop loss has left his family devastated. His family members broke down in tears, wondering how they would pay the land lease, recover their investment and sustain their livelihood.

Farmers across several parts of the State are struggling to protect their standing crops amid deficient rainfall, dwindling groundwater levels and inadequate power supply. Many are finding it increasingly difficult to operate borewells and provide sufficient irrigation water to their fields.

Last week, Venkatesu, a farmer from Jogulamba Gadwal district, set fire to his paddy crop spread over 20 acres after failing to save it from drying up.

Farmers complained that despite repeated appeals to officials for adequate irrigation water and electricity supply, their pleas had gone unheeded, leaving them struggling to save their crops.

The back-to-back incidents have brought into focus the mounting financial burden on farmers, particularly tenant cultivators who face the prospect of losing their investment while remaining liable to pay land lease amounts.