Farmers in Bhatti’s Madhira constituency want repairs to Jalimudi project

Nearly 50 metres of concrete wall of the canal was washed away but irrigation officials have not carried out any repairs, as a result of which farmers were unable to feed the crops properly.

Khammam: Farmers under the Jalimudi project ayacut in Madhira mandal that falls under Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s constituency in the district are demanding the State government to repair canals of the project.

The project built across river Wyra irrigates around 4,900 acres of land in Madhira and Bonakal mandals through its left and right canals. It was proposed to irrigate another 5000 acres of land by extending the canals. However, the project’s left canal damaged due to the floods in this monsoon and has been left as it is. Nearly 50 metres of concrete wall of the canal was washed away but irrigation officials have not carried out any repairs, as a result of which farmers were unable to feed the crops properly.

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As Madhira constituency is located in the tail-end of Nagarjuna Sagar Project, the agricultural lands in the constituency are not able to get sufficient water for irrigation needs as there is no water in the NSP. Though there is water in the Jalimudi project, water is not being supplied to the fields. The farmers are complaining that for the last 10 months, there was no water supply through the canals in which silt was accumulated and due to breaches in the canals due to poor maintenance.

Former Zilla Parishad chairman Lingala Kamal Raju, speaking to Telangana Today, complained that instead of carrying out permanent repairs, the officials had laid 250 mm plastic pipes in the breached part of the left canal, but those were of no use. The project pillars too had collapsed. The authorities should immediately respond and take the issue to the notice of the government to carry out repairs to ensure that the farmers do not face any trouble in getting irrigation water, he said.

A farmer, B Venkata Ramaiah of Rompimalla village, said as there were no distribution channels in the left canal, the farmers were forced to feed the crops with the help of oil engines or to depend on borewells. For the last ten months, there has been no water supply to the left canal, he said.