KTR demands crop loss survey, compensation for Palamuru farmers

BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded an immediate crop loss survey and compensation for farmers in erstwhile Mahabubnagar district, alleging irrigation and power supply shortages had damaged crops. He sought a special relief package for affected farmers

Hyderabad: Raising concern over crops withering due to a short supply of irrigation water, BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded an immediate crop loss survey and compensation for farmers in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district. He said more than 40 per cent of crops were damaged despite adequate water being available in the Krishna and Godavari rivers.

Rama Rao made the demand after visiting cotton and maize fields at Deshitikyal village in Nagarkurnool district and interacting with farmers while returning from Kollapur on Sunday. He said farmers had suffered heavy losses and were unable even to recover their investment. He demanded that the government conduct a crop survey covering every acre and announce a special package for affected farmers.

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Farmers told him that cotton crops had dried up and changed colour, with little possibility of fetching even Rs 4,000 a quintal. Maize farmers, too, had suffered severe losses, with farmer Shekhar Reddy reportedly borrowing Rs 2 lakh to cultivate maize on two acres but losing the crop.

The BRS working president held the Congress government responsible for the crop loss and accused it of criminal negligence in ensuring irrigation water supply, despite 248 TMCft of water being available this year. He reminded the government that weather experts had warned of the El Nino impact and said the Congress government should therefore have stored the available water, filled tanks and supplied water through canals. He alleged that the Kalwakurthy and Palamuru-Rangareddy projects were not being operated to their full capacity.

He also raised the issue of power supply shortages after farmers complained that only single-phase power was available after 7 pm and that three-phase supply was frequently interrupted, making it difficult to operate agricultural pump sets.

Rama Rao recalled that the previous BRS government provided irrigation to around 8-8.5 lakh acres in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district through the Jurala, Kalwakurthy, Nettampadu, Koilsagar and Palamuru-Rangareddy projects. He stated that while Palamuru was facing crop losses, Krishna River water was being diverted to Andhra Pradesh from the Srisailam reservoir.

He assured the farmers that he would take up the issue with agriculture officials and the Agriculture Minister over their grievances. He also assured farmers that the BRS would continue its fight and mobilise BRS MLAs to press the government for relief until compensation was provided.