No harvest this Sankranti

The two-kilometre stretch from Prakasam Barrage to Borupalem presents a pleasing sight with wide array of flowers, fruits and vegetables that are grown on the either side of the road. This is the last time one gets to hear the names Rayapudi lemons, jasmine from Nidamarru, marigold from Undavalli and virajaji (a sub species of jasmine) from Penmumaka. The crop one gets to see now will be last one as soon they would rather painfully make way for skyscrapers and multi-storied buildings. The rich and fertile land would soon be covered with heaps of iron and concrete.

Though the farmers are against the proposed land pooling for the capital, the government is keen on acquiring it at any cost. The authorities are threatening to invoke the Land Acquisition Act 2014. The government officials heaved a sigh of relief when the Central government amended the provisions of the act dropping the ‘majority farmers’ consent’ condition.

“The very thought that these would be one of the last glimpses of a picturesque view, pains me. The green cover if retained adds an aesthetic element to the capital and I can’t understand why the government is hell bent on destroying the green cover,” laments Kallam Aravinda Reddy, a farmer from Penumaka. He made an earnest appeal to exempt the land from the pooling scheme.

Aravinda Reddy is not the lone ranger; farmers in the region are up in arms against the government’s policy. They are running from pillar to post, met several civil societies to garner support for their cause. However, these efforts are futile as government authorities are keen to complete the pooling exercise by Sankranti.

By: D Gopi