Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

Farmers to picket Prakasam barrage today

By Our Staff Reporter

GUNTUR, JULY 18. Farmers from the West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts will picket the Prakasam barrage on Monday. About 2,000 farmers from seven constituencies in Guntur district and double that number from West Godavari and Krishna are likely to descend on the barrage, demanding immediate release of water to the Krishna eastern and western delta to save the existing ayacut.

The agitation is being spearheaded by the former Minister, Alapati Rajendra Prasad, of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and has entered its fifth day. Mr. Prasad said water up to a level of 450 ft. could be drawn from the Nagarjuna Sagar Project, which of 170 tmc stored at present. The farmers in the Krishna eastern delta were 15 days ahead of those from the western delta in agricultural activity, and needed water for replanting paddy saplings, he said.

The former Minister said the entire consumption of water in the Krishna delta was 70 tmc, and release of 3,000 cusecs for a few days would not affect the levels.

In the Nagarjuna Sagar Project Right canal areas, majority of the farmers raise alternative or commercial crops, which did not require water right now, he said.

With Tenali as their headquarters, the former MP, Yedlapati Venkata Rao and the former Tenali MLA, Gogineni Uma, were arranging for vehicles to take farmers to the barrage.

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