1 month ago
18
Kakinada: Farmers under the Venkata Nagaram Lift Irrigation Scheme are in distress during the present Rabi season as the Irrigation department has not released water to the fields.
Due to water availability following the digging of the LIS canals, the farmers of the region have been cultivating the lands for both the Kharif and Rabi seasons. This season, the officials could not release the water due to “lack of funds.”
Officials say the state government did not release the funds for the LIS’ operational and maintenance costs. Nearly `4 crore is required for these purposes per annum. The contractor handling the maintenance has left the canal in June last due to non-release of the funds. That was the time when the government changed. The staff of the LIS is working on contract basis. They got no salary for the past few months.
Meanwhile, a pipeline leakage occurred. The engineers detected a breach to the pipeline but repair would cost around Rs 5 lakh.
The Rajamahendravaram Rural MLA Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary exerted pressure on the irrigation department officials and helped the farmers get some water.
According to the irrigation authorities, there exist some 10,561 acres of ayacut under the LIS in the three mandals --Rajamahendravram Rural, Rajanagaram and Rangampeta – spread over three assembly constituencies.
Executive engineer of the Venkata Nagaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, NP Rajeswara Rao, told Deccan Chronicle that there generally is no sharing of the water to Venkata Nagaram LIS for the Rabi season. But, if there is availability, water can be released to the ayacut to save the crop. Proposals have been sent to the government for release of the funds to meet the operational and maintenance costs of the LIS, he said.
The farmers under the Ayacut submitted a representation to district collector Prashanthi, seeking release of water to the ayacut. They said less than 1tmc of water is enough to save their crops. “Our lands have been acquired for the LIS,” they pointed out and demanded that the government include their ayacut under the Godavari command area ayacut.
Anaparti MLA Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy said huge amounts of sand got struck in the pipelines and this should be removed. He had brought the issue to the notice of the government, he said, adding, “The pipelines and the pumps would be repaired and water will be supplied to the ayacut soon with NABARD funds.”
Reddy said he would make efforts to provide water to farmers on a permanent basis under the Venkatanagaram Ayacut.
I am Vadrevu Srinivasa Prasada Rao, employed as a Sr.Reporter, based at Kakinada in Rajamahendravaram Bureau of Deccan Chronicle. My focus areas include feature stories, crime, and politics, cultural, environment, Irrigation, Sports and other General Stories coverage.
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