Agriculture Minister K. Kannababu said that 26 breaches to canals had been reported across the Yeleru Irrigation System (YIS) by Tuesday evening.
The breaches were due to the discharge of more than 13,000 cusecs of flood water from the Yeleswaram reservoir, whose capacity was more than 24 tmcft.
Mr. Kannababu inspected the paddy and cotton fields in the mandals of Gollaprolu, Pithapuram and Peddapuram, where thousands of acres of agricultural fields remained under a sheet of water.
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Enumeration under way
“Cotton and paddy fields have been under a sheet of water due to the breaches to the canals under the YIS. The irrigation officials are plugging the minor breaches. Officials of the Agriculture and Revenue departments are enumerating the damage to release the compensation to the farmers,” the Minister said.
Reviewing the situation with East Godavari district Collector D. Muralidhar Reedy and Irrigation officials, Mr. Kannababu said that the long-pending proposal for modernisation of the YIS would be discussed with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The Minister said he had apprised Irrigation Minister P. Anil Kumar on the existing situation in the YIS.
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Mr. Kannababu said a few colonies in Pithapuram mandal were affected due to the breaches. The families affected were supplied essential commodities. The paddy fields at Bhogapuram, Vadlamuru and Raparthy were mostly damaged.
The Yeleru Irrigation Division officials stated that a 50-metre breach to the Vaalu Kaluva in Kirlampudi mandal could be plugged after the waters receded. Mr. Kannababu directed them to initiate precautionary measures to avoid further breaches to the Yeleru canal, which originates at the Yeleswaram reservoir.
Road link snapped
A culvert collapsed partially on Tuesday at Appanapalem. Besides affecting vehicular movement on the culvert, road link got snapped as a result to three villages — Appanapalem, Maamidada and Narendrapatnam.