Andhra Pradesh - Eluru   

Delay in water release worries ryots

ELURU: The delay in release of the Krishna water for irrigation of 60,000 acres under the Krishna-Eastern canal falling under West Godavari district worries the farmers. The farmers staged a protest under the banner of the Andhra Pradesh Rytanga Samakhya at the Collector here on Monday, resenting the delay in water release. Addressing the farmers, the samakhya president Maganti Sitarama Swamy expressed serious concern over the kharif prospects in view of the failure of the irrigation officials in release of the Krishna water.

He accused the government of turning a deaf ear to their plea for water release in spite of availability of 198 TMCs of water in the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir. Water is supposed to be let into the K-E canal by June 1 and there were no such signs yet even as June was coming to an end within a week, Mr. Swamy regretted.

He wondered why the government was failing to honour the decision of the District Irrigation Advisory Board which favoured water release by June 10.

The peasant leader apprehended that the yield during the khariff would fall if there was further delay in the release of water.

“The farmers have not yet raised seed beds. When will they undertake transplantations?”, he asked.

He wanted the government to protect the Krishna delta with an ayacut of 13 lakh acres by ensuring timely release of water from the Krishna river. Meanwhile, B. Balaram, secretary of the CPI (M)-affiliated Andhra Pradesh Rytu Sangham district unit, extended support to the agitation undertaken by the faremrs for the water release.

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