Canal breach exposes neglect of Mallanna Sagar main canal
A breach in the Mallanna Sagar main canal near Yellareddypet flooded paddy fields shortly after water was released for Yasangi. Farmers blamed weed growth and lack of desilting, alleging neglect by the Congress government and demanding compensation
Siddipet: The Congress government ignored the removal of weeds in the Mallanna Sagar main canal, which has now resulted in a breach near Yellareddypet hours after water was released for Yasangi. Water was also overflowing at a few places as weed growth, particularly nutgrass, had spread across the canal, standing as testimony to the government’s neglect. Farmers under the ayacut complained that water was flowing over canals at several locations as weeds blocked the smooth flow.
Following demands by farmers and an appeal by Dubbak MLA Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, the irrigation department released water to the ayacut on Tuesday night. However, the canal suffered a breach within hours, leading to sand piling and flooding of paddy fields between Yellareddypet and Pedda Masanpally villages.
Speaking to Telangana Today, farmer Komuraiah, whose paddy field was swept away due to the canal breach, said the blocking of water flow had resulted in the damage. He urged the government to take up desilting works regularly so that such incidents would not recur.
BRS Thoguta mandal president Jeedipally Ram Reddy said the previous BRS government had always taken up desilting of canals every summer before releasing water to the ayacut under irrigation projects linked to Kaleshwaram. In contrast, he alleged, the Congress government had completely ignored this practice. He further said the government had failed to build distributaries and sub-canals, thereby denying irrigation water to tail-end agricultural fields.
Prabhakar Reddy demanded compensation for farmers whose crops were damaged and called for immediate repair works at the breach to ensure irrigation water reached every acre without delay.