Farmers oppose trenches around fields by forest officials in Asifabad

Podu farmers in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district opposed trench digging around agricultural fields near forests, alleging it threatened their livelihood. Similar protests were reported in Penchikalpet mandal, where farmers demanded joint surveys to demarcate forest and revenue land boundaries

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Podu or shifting cultivation farmers opposed the digging of trenches around agricultural fields located near forests at Karjelli village in Chintalamanepalli mandal on Saturday.

Farmers regretted that forest officials were digging trenches in their agricultural fields, affecting their livelihood. They stated that they had been cultivating crops in the fields for several decades. They said they would continue to oppose the process of demarcating boundaries around their fields. They faulted the officials for fixing boundaries without consulting them.

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Meanwhile, a similar incident occurred at Dharogapalli village in Penchikalpet mandal. Farmers stopped officials from excavating a trench near their farms. They lamented that they would be forced to migrate to towns in search of livelihood if trenches were dug in the fields. They urged officials to conduct joint surveys to define boundaries between revenue and forest lands.