Yadagirigutta: Godavari waters inundate crops

Yadagirigutta : In an unforeseen turn of events, the government’s release of Godavari water from the Jangampally OT 2 canal, part of the 15th package of the Kaleshwaram project, led to a distressing situation for farmers in the Yadagirigutta mandal.

On Friday, the intended purpose was to fill the Gandhi pond at the Yadadri Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple. However, on Saturday, around 3 pm, a surge in the canal caused an abrupt stoppage at the pipes in the Saidapuram range between Jangampally and Yadagirigutta. The water then cascaded over the canal, inundating the fields of local farmers.

Tragically, crop fields where paddy had been sowed just two days prior were completely submerged, leaving farmers with sorrow as they expressed their concerns over the substantial losses incurred due to the unexpected overflow of Godavari water.

Pulepaka Mallaiah bore the brunt with 2 acres submerged, while Bikshapati and Pulepaka Ramulu faced the loss of one acre and a quarter acre respectively. Urgently seeking assistance, farmers implored the government to provide compensation to alleviate the financial impact of the calamity.

Irrigation officials Venugopal and Balakishan shed light on the incident, attributing the flood surge to the accumulation of garbage and debris in the canal. This obstruction led to an increase in the flood level, diverting water flow towards the fields.