Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Krishna delta protection panel calls for bandh today

By Our Special Correspondent

VIJAYAWADA SEPT. 16. The Krishna delta protection committee has given a call for bandh in Krishna district, including Vijayawada city, on Wednesday to express solidarity with the eight leaders, including three Congress-I MLAs, who are on an indefinite fast for the last four days at Machilipatnam, demanding the Government to release 10,000 cusecs of water to save kharif crop as promised.

Though the officials increased the water discharge from 1500 to 3000 cusecs into the Krishna eastern main canal, farmers are becoming restive as both the nurseries and transplanted crop are withering. Farmers from different villages are clashing over water leading to law and order problems. One person sustained a head injury when farmers of Korada and Chintalakunta clashed today in Gudlavalleru mandal. Similarly, the TDP MLA, Ravi Venkateswara Rao, forced the irrigation officials to close the Balliparru lock and supply water to Gudivada channel for three days to sustain the transplanted crop on 75,000 acres. The Government Chief Whip, Kagita Venkata Rao, got the lock opened to ensure that water reached the tail-end areas lying in his Malleswaram constituency where even five per cent crop was not transplanted and nurseries are withering.

As the farmers in the upper reaches use diesel or electric motors to draw water, water is not reaching tail-end areas under all branch canals leading to clashes over water in the Krishna delta. The enraged farmers laid a siege to Mandal Revenue Offices today and demanded the officials to release at least 10,000 cusecs for at least 10-15 days for nurseries and standing crop and save them from withering away. When the crop is rejuvenated, the officials can reduce the discharge and supply water on rotation basis, they argued. The fasting Kaikalur MLA, Yerneni Rajaramachander, ridiculed the contention of the Agriculture Minister, Vadde Sobhanadreesawra Rao, that 5000 cusecs of water would be sufficient to save the crop in Krishna delta. "Let the Minister, MLAs and officials visit the villages and see for themselves whether water is reaching the tail-end areas or not,'' he said.

They should admit at least now that they cannot supply water to the entire delta. Steps should be taken to protect the crop already transplanted and arrange compensation to those who have not raised the crop till now, he felt. He said many villages are facing a serious problem for drinking water in Kaikalur, Bantumilli and Malleswaram constituencies as the tanks turned dry and the borewells yielded only saline water. Referring to reports that the fasting MLAs would be shifted to hospital for forced feeding, he said that any such attempt would lead to serious consequences.

The DCC president and MLA, Mandali Budha Prasad, who is also fasting, criticised the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, for failing to respond to the agitation. He said that Mr. Naidu, who was on a tour of Italy, held a video conference and threatened to take action against TDP leader, Yerneni Nagendranath, for joining hands with the Congress and undertaking indefinite fast. This is nothing but dictatorial, he felt.

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