Rajamahendrav :Overflowing canals inundate paddy fields

Rajamahendravaram: Heavy rains followed by Godavari floods have drowned paddy fields in thousands of acres. Vegetable plantations were submerged in water causing loss to farmers. As Godavari floodwater reversed from sluices, rainwater and flood water together flooded the fields. The recently sowed paddy fields and nurseries in many villages of Korukonda, Seethanagaram, Rajamahendravaram Rural, Kovvur, Thallapudi, Nallajarla, Peravali, Nidadavolu and other mandals are looking like ponds.

In Katheru of Rajamahendrvaram rural mandal, due to the damage to sluice doors, there is the danger of flooding the fields. Godavari water is also flowing into the fields from Thorrigadda drainage located between Torredu and Bobbililanka. In Gokavaram mandal, fields were submerged due to the effect of Burada Canal.

District Agriculture Officer S Madhava Rao said that 2,059 hectares of paddy fields in 48 villages in Rajamahendravaram rural, Kovvur, Korukonda, Chagallu, Devarapalli, Nallajarla, Thallapudi, Kadiyam and Seethanagaram areas were submerged.

Hundreds of acres in Madhurapudi, Kolamuru, Gadala, Thorredu and other areas were submerged due to the overflowing of Jalla Kaluwa.

JV Swamy and Veeravenkata Rao of Madhurapudi said that they have been asking for the past two years to repair the sluice in Katheru and eliminate this problem, but to no avail.