Jurala tension: BRS leaders, farmers stopped from reaching project over water release

Tension prevailed at Jurala Project as police stopped BRS leaders and farmers protesting for irrigation water. Former MLA Chittem Rammohan Reddy was taken into custody, while senior BRS leaders were placed under house arrest and farmers demanded water for standing crops.

Wanaparthy: Tension escalated at the Jurala Project on Monday as police stopped Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders and farmers from reaching the project to stage a protest demanding water supply for the farming community.

Former Makthal MLA Chittem Rammohan Reddy was stopped by police at Nandimalla in Amarchinta. Farmers, who were staging a massive protest, were also intercepted. Heated arguments and scuffles broke out between the police and farmers.

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The former MLA expressed concern over farmers struggling to save their crops cultivated under the project ayacut. He said farmers had invested heavily in cultivation and that the Congress government was not releasing water at a crucial stage.

He appealed to irrigation officials to release water at least once every three days so that farmers could save their standing crops and avoid losses. While he was speaking to media persons, police took him into custody and tried to shift him.

However, farmers and BRS workers stopped the police vehicle. They raised slogans and demanded that water be supplied to the farming community.

Preventive arrest of former Ministers
As BRS leaders headed towards the Jurala Project, police intercepted them at several locations across erstwhile Palamuru. Former Ministers Singireddy Niranjan Reddy and C Laxma Reddy, former MLA A Venkateshwar Reddy and other senior BRS leaders were placed under house arrest.

Police also detained BRS leaders from Wanaparthy, Atmakur, Amarchinta and Narva mandals at various locations. The Jurala Project was completely cordoned off and a heavy police force was deployed at the dam.

In Gadwal, farmers’ unions backed by an all-party coalition called for a siege of the Collectorate, demanding the release of irrigation water.

Farmers have been demanding water release from the project for the past three days. On Saturday evening, they gathered at the dam, opened the head regulator and released water into the left canal. Irrigation officials, however, reached the project soon after and stopped the release.