Supply water to tail-end lands: CPM

Eluru: CPM Upland District secretary Chintakayala Babu Rao, demanded that the government supply water to tail-end lands in Godavari Western delta to save the rabi crop.

Addressing media at CPM office here on Thursday, the CPM Upland Committee secretary said that thousands of acres of crops under Eluru Godavari main canal in Ungutur and Bhimadole mandals were now withering due to non-supply of water. The farmers were wandering on the bunds of the Godavari canal for the water to save their crops. He said that the farmers were paying higher amounts to arrange oil engines to get water to the crops.

He stated that the farmers were already in loan-trap of private persons and each farmer had taken Rs 20,000 from private moneylenders for their crop. He expressed fear that the yielding might come down drastically due to the water scarcity. He alleged that the Government had lifted the Godavari river water from Pattiseema project against the GO norms. The farmers were now facing the water problem in Delta area. He blamed the State Government for the present state of affairs.

He demanded that the Government take steps to bring additional water from Sileru reservoir and Odisha to save the farmers. The Government should bear the expenditure of the farmers and tenant farmers who were paying Rs 3,000 to 4,000 for the water to their crops. He also demanded that the government arrange oil engines for the supply of water to the fields. He requested officials to increase the water level in Eluru canal so as to reach the tail-end lands. CPM city convener P Kishore, CPM district committee member K Srinivas participated in the media conference.