Andhra Pradesh - Kurnool   

MP, farmers stage protest rally

Special Correspondent

Demand for release of water to Block 16

KURNOOL: Nandyal Member of Parliament S.P.Y. Reddy and a group of farmers staged a protest rally demanding release of water to block 16 under the Srisailam Right Branch Canal in Kurnool district. The rally, which was staged on Tuesday, continued on Wednesday, too.

The canal supplying water to the Block 16 in Sanjamala, Koilkuntla and Uyyalawada mandals cannot draw water unless the level reached 218.5 metres.

When the MP accompanied by SE Masood Alam visited the villages to assess the problem, the farmers registered a strong protest with him saying that the crops withered because of indifference of the officials, who failed to impound water in the Owk reservoir complex.

Solidarity

The MP who found the demand of the farmers justified stayed back at Mikkinenipalli expressing solidarity with the farmers. As the protest continued, the irrigation officials started replenishing the reservoir releasing 300 cusecs into it.

The water level rose by a foot on Wednesday and two feet more water is required for full operation of the canal.

The controversy had assumed a political angle too as local MLA Challa Ramakrishna Reddy was against impounding the water to full reservoir level citing weak bund at a spot as the reason.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

MP, farmers stage protest rally
NSS on a `green' drive in Kurnool

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu