MGNREGS to help farmers clear sand from fields in Medak

Over 2,700 acres of farmland in Medak were buried under sand after August rains. Officials plan to use MGNREGS workers to clear fields, easing costs for farmers who now seek quick relief to prepare for Yasangi crops.

Medak: To support farmers whose fields were damaged by sand deposits following heavy rains in August, officials of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) are preparing proposals to deploy workers for clearing the silt.

According to the Agriculture Department, farmers across the district suffered crop losses in more than 25,000 acres due to incessant rains. Sand deposits were reported on at least 2,700 acres spread across Medak, Havelighanpur, Chinna Shankarampet, Pedda Shankarampet, Regode, Ramayampet, Nizampet, Veldurthy, Kowdipally, Kulcharam and Tekmal mandals.

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Fields located along the Manjeera river and streams such as Haldi, Pasupuleru, Guduvagu and Gangamma Vagu, as well as downstream of breached minor irrigation tanks, were the worst affected. The Agriculture and MGNREGS departments are carrying out a joint survey to assess the extent of sand deposits in each acre.

Ordinarily, farmers would need to spend between Rs.1 lakh and Rs.2 lakh to clear one acre of land. Officials said the use of MGNREGS workers would ease this financial burden. District Rural Development Organisation (DRDO) Project Officer Ch Srinivas Rao said lists of affected farmers had been forwarded to the respective Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDOs), who would prepare proposals and send them back for approval. Once cleared by higher authorities, the works will be taken up.

Farmers have urged officials to expedite the process so that they can prepare their fields for Yasangi crops, having already lost the Vanakalam crop. They also appealed to the State government to release crop loss compensation without delay.