Suryapet farmers stage protest for water through SRSP canals
Lay a siege to the Irrigation Department Chief Engineer's Office alleging that officials were ignoring their plight
NALGONDA: Demanding irrigation water from Sri Rama Sagar Project (SRSP) canals, farmers staged a protest at Suryapet on Monday. Farmers from Chivemla, Mothe, Nadigudem, and other mandals laid a siege to the Irrigation Department Chief Engineer’s Office, in Suryapet.
They raised slogans against the government and said they were facing severe hardships to cultivate crops in the current Yasangi season. The farmers, especially in the tail-end areas fumed at the officials and said they were turning a blind eye to their problems. Despite repeated appeals, the officials failed to ensure the supply of water, they charged.
The farmers also said that due to the rotation method adopted by the Irrigation Department in supplying water, the tail-end areas were drying up fast. A few farmers wanted the government to do away with the rotation method and save the crops in tail-end areas.
Last year, officials had assured supply of sufficient water, and accordingly, farmers had taken up cultivation in vast areas. However, in the mid-stage, the water supply was stopped and crops had dried up. This resulted in huge losses to us, a farmer is seen saying in a video that is going viral on social media platforms.
Similarly, the farming community was uncertain over water supply this year too. The government had assured that water would be supplied to all areas under the rotation method from January 1 to April 7. However, the supply was held up and the crops were drying up, the farmer added.
“Had the government declared that water supply cannot be guaranteed this season, we would not have taken up cultivation in Yasangi season,” another farmer said.
Protests in Bhongir
Like their counterparts in Suryapet, farmers in Yadadri Bhongir also staged a protest demanding sufficient water supply. They stepped into the Bikkeru canal and staged a protest.
Farmers from Sadarshapuram, Pedda Padishala, and other villages demanded that the government supply sufficient water and save their paddy crops. With day temperatures increasing steadily and the groundwater drying up fast, farmers were facing several hardships in cultivating the crops.
As a result, the paddy crops were drying up. The farmers said in the past, the BRS government had released Godavari water into the Bikkeru canal and this had aided in the cultivation of paddy in vast areas. “The Congress government should release Godavari water into Bikkeru canal and save our paddy crops,” the farmers demanded.