TDP MLAs urge YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to save Prakasam farmers

Mangalagiri: Three TDP MLAs from the Prakasam district on Sunday made a strong plea to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to immediately stop the proposal to increase the capacity of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project at Srisailam from 44,000 cusecs to 80,000 cusecs.

They told the CM that any further increase in the capacities of projects at Srisailam would lead to reduced or zero water release to the lower Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir. This would cause a very severe blow to the already suffering farmers of Prakasam district who are heavily dependent on the Sagar waters for both irrigation and drinking water needs.

In a letter sent to Jagan Reddy, TDP MLAs Yeluri Sambasiva Rao, Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy and Gottipati Ravi Kumar said the Prakasam district would receive normal rainfall only for 3 years in a period of 15 years while the remaining 12 years were drought period.

During 2014-20, the district got Sagar water only for two years while the remaining five years could ensure just drinking water.

The TDP MLAs told Jagan that over four lakh out of the total 11 lakh acres of cultivable land had turned into desert due to lack of water supply. The district farmers depend on Sagar water and underground water. Darsi, Addanki and Yarragondapalem fully depend on Sagar water. Kondepi, Parchuru, Santanutalapadu and Ongole partially depend on Sagar. If the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir would not receive required water from Srisailam, the Prakasam farmers would face a severe crisis.

The AP and Telangana projects are lifting water from Srisailam at the water levels of 825 ft and 805 ft respectively. Over 1 lakh cusecs water was being lifted at Srisailam even before the water level would touch 850 ft. So it was going to be a big problem for the Prakasam farmers, if proper regulation is not placed at Srisailam.

The TDP MLAs recalled how the Chief Minister had talked about protecting the rights of the Rayalaseema farmers to utilise their share of 145 tmc in the Krishna waters. At the same time, the Prakasam and Guntur districts have got a right to use 132 tmc as their share. They told the CM that the Telangana government constructed three projects at Srisailam lifting 14,000 cusecs from Srisailam reservoir. If the Rayalaseema lift would take away another 80,000 cusecs, then it would be very difficult to release water to Sagar. The Prakasam farmers would be in for a greater injustice, they lamented.