Harish Rao demands 15 more days of Jurala water for crops

BRS Legislature Party Deputy Floor Leader T Harish Rao on Monday demanded that the Congress government operate all five motors of the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Project round the clock and release water from the Jurala project for another 15 days to save standing crops. He urged the government to take immediate measures to complete the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme and fill the Karivena and Vattem reservoirs.

He demanded compensation for crop losses across 25 lakh acres due to drought conditions, apart from the immediate release of Rythu Bharosa assistance for the ensuing Yasangi season, enhanced employment guarantee workdays for agricultural labourers and workers dependent on farm operations, and payment of the promised Rs 12,000 under the Indiramma Atmiya Bharosa scheme to eligible agricultural labourers.

Addressing a public meeting with farmers after



inspecting withered paddy fields in Alwala village of Peddamandadi mandal in Wanaparthy district, Harish Rao accused the Congress government of triggering an agrarian crisis in Palamuru by failing to utilise available Krishna River water. He said crops had dried up despite substantial inflows into the Srisailam and Jurala projects.

He said around 250 acres had dried up in the village alone. He said farmers were left in distress at a critical harvesting stage despite water being available in the reservoirs.

Blaming the ruling Congress for causing the drought rather than natural conditions, he said the Srisailam project had received 221 TMCft of water and the Jurala project about 252 TMCft. However, he said the government had failed to operate the Kalwakurthy project motors in time and that the project, which could have lifted 50 TMCft, had lifted only 18 TMCft this season.