Siddipet: Konda Pochamma Sagar doubles farmers’ income in Markook

With the Konda Pochamma Project built near Markook, nearly 20 tanks were filled to the brim across the mandal through Sangareddy and Jagadevpur Canals

Siddipet: The construction of the Konda Pochamma Sagar is turning out to be a boon for farmers of Markook Mandal with many of them now cultivating different crops during the Yasangi season.

The farmers usually do not cultivate any crop other than cotton during Yasangi. However, since the area has abundant water now, farmers in Markook removed cotton after December, and have gone for cultivation of sweet corn, maize and vegetables.

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With the Konda Pochamma Project built near Markook, nearly 20 tanks were filled to the brim across the mandal through Sangareddy and Jagadevpur Canals. Since Konda Pochamma Sagar was brimming with water, the groundwater table has also increased considerably.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Markook Mandal Agriculture Officer Nagendar Reddy said the crops would not survive unless they were provided water during summer. With abundant water available, he said farmers took up maize on 495 acres and sweet corn on 112 acres as Yasangi crops after removing cotton. The farmers would earn Rs.35,000 per crop on maize while they can earn Rs.45,000 from sweet corn cultivation.

Several farmers in Markook villages took up vegetable cultivation, watermelon and other crops during Yasangi to improve their income, he said, adding that farmers in Markook Mandal used to cultivate paddy on only 1,400 acres before completion of the Konda Pochamma Sagar during Yasangi. Now the extent under paddy cultivation had increased to 7,900 acres in Markook.

Incidentally, the mandal falls under Gajwel Assembly Constituency which is represented by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, whose brainchild is the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.

A farmer from Erravally village, Sudhakar Reddy said Konda Pochamma Sagar had changed their lives as they were having abundant water now. Gone were the days when finding water was tough even after drilling a borewell 500 feet deep, he said. Another farmer S Venkaiah thanked the Chief Minister for doubling their income by building KLIS and Konda Pochamma Sagar. The prices of land had also increased manifold post KLIS, he said.