Farmers protest over drying crops under K-C Canal
- They say crops in around 1,200 acre are on the verge of drying up due to a lack of water, despite being close to harvest
- Engage in heated arguments with K-C Canal officials, including EE and JE
- Officials promise that efforts are being made to resolve the crisis
Nandyal: Farmers in the K-C Canal command area staged a protest on Wednesday at the Telugu Ganga office in Nandyal town, demanding immediate water supply to save their drying crops. They expressed distress, questioning whether officials would provide water or force them into losses.
According to the protesting farmers, crops in around 1,200 acre are on the verge of drying up due to a lack of water, despite being close to harvest. They alleged that the officials were acting arbitrarily and not addressing their concerns. The farmers engaged in heated arguments with K-C Canal officials, including executive engineer (EE) Pratap and junior engineer (JE) Nageswara Reddy.
The protesters pointed out that water is not reaching the fields between the 16th and 27th locks of the K-C Canal. They expressed frustration, stating that only a foot of water is flowing in the canal, which is insufficient for irrigation. Many farmers also lamented that they do not even have borewells to sustain their crops.
The farmers said if their paddy crops receive one or two more rounds of irrigation, they can be saved. They said they had invested Rs 50,000 per acre in cultivation and are now facing severe losses.
The crisis is affecting several villages under the K-C Canal command area, including Dibaguntla, Sambavaram, Julepalli, Kanalapalli, Sirivella, Veerareddypalle, Kotapadu, Govindapalle, Yalluru, Erraguntla, Jillilla, Revanuru, Nagulavaram, Lingamdinne, Pasulapadu, and Allagadda. Farmers from these villages are deeply worried about the fate of their crops.
With crops in 1,200 acre at risk, farmers expressed their helplessness and demanded immediate intervention. They insisted that unless 5,000 cusecs of water is released from the Muchumarri reservoir into the K-C Canal, the crops cannot be saved.
Officials assured them that efforts are being made to resolve the crisis. However, farmers urged both officials and public representatives to take urgent action to ensure water supply and prevent further damage to their livelihoods.
