Minister for Finance and Civil Supplies Eatala Rajender has expressed concern over the illegal siphoning off of the SRSP water by the farming community by fixing high-power motorised pumps in the canals and denying water to the farmers of tail-end region.
In spite of shortage of water in the SRSP, the Government lifted some water from Singoor and Manjeera into the project. The irrigation officials were releasing water judiciously by following ‘on and off’ system. When the authorities were releasing around 6,000 cusecs of waters through canals, about 3,150 cusecs of water was being drawn illegally by installing pumps in the canal, he stated. He said that the farmers had installed high-powered motors of 7.5 HP to 12 HP. Ironically, some of the farmers above LMD reservoir were even filling their agricultural wells by siphoning off water from the canals, he complained. In order to ensure the SRSP water reached the tail-end regions, the Minister convened a meeting of the district authorities of Karimnagar, Peddapalli and Jagtial in Karimnagar town on Monday. He said that the supply of 24x7 power also spelt doom as the farmers were lifting the SRSP water round-the-clock and filling their fields and wells denying the water to the tail-end region farmers.
Instructing the district collectors of Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jagtial and Nizamabad to convene a meeting with the revenue, police and irrigation officials, he asked them to launch patrolling along the canals from January 25 when the third spell of water would be released. He also appealed to the farmers to use water judiciously.
Indirectly referring to Jagtial MLA T. Jeevan Reddy for provoking the farmers and motivating them to siphon off water from the canals by using motorised pumps, he called upon the farmers to think about the plight of tail-end region farmers also.
