Konaseema: Deterioration of Irrigation, Drainage Systems Hurting Farmers

Kakinada: A steady deterioration of the irrigation and drainage systems is seriously affecting the livelihood of farmers and others in the Konaseema region.

Many agriculture fields and coconut plantations are getting destroyed due to this, resulting in ecological devastation and economic hardships for large numbers of people.

The drainage and irrigation infrastructure, particularly the Sankaraguptam major drain (Nagara and Razole island) areas, has been damaged due to systemic negligence, structural decay and administrative failure.

The Shankaraguptam major drain, extending to over 22.3km, receives surface runoff and drainage flows from the villages of Kattimanda, Kunavaram, Chintapalli, Mogalikuduru, Gudapalli, Ponnamanda, Katrenipadu and B Savaram, before it joins the Vynatheya arm of the Vasishta Godavari river.

Historically, this drain operated as a dynamic tidal outfall, with its gradient and flow velocity balanced between the sea and river levels.

An expert committee in 2007 conducted a survey on the drain and stated that the hydraulic behaviour of the drain has been critically alerted. The highest bed level near Km.8.40 has created a persistent bidirectional flow-between 0.00km and 8.40km, towards the Bay of Bengal, and from Km.8.40 to Km.22.90 towards the Vynatheya river.

The artificial “straight-cut’’ outfall constructed near the 0.0km has become completely dysfunctional due to severe siltation and sand deposition, leaving the drain without any operational outlet. This is resulting in stagnation of water, reverse and backflow during the monsoon floods as well as tidal highs.

The Kunavaram major drain has been adversely affected by the failure of Sankaraguptam drain. This is resulting in water stagnation and widespread extinction of coconut plantations - a trend that is likely to accelerate in the absence of timely intervention.

The drain bed-widths have been severely reduced due to encroachments. Aqua farmers are indiscriminately dumping sludge from shrimp ponds into the drains, blocking water flow and preventing seawater from receding during the ebb and tide.

An allegation is that the fishermen in the area are erecting nets across the drain with small vents for dewatering and fishing, disrupting the natural flow and preventing the drain from discharging its flow into the sea.

Convener of the Bharatiya Agro Economic Research Centre - Andhra Pradesh, Tikkireddy Gopalakrishna, said, “Encroachments on irrigation and drainage networks by the people, coupled with poor enforcement by local bodies, has weakened the region’s natural water management systems.”

He said most of the irrigation canals--both major and minor -- have degenerated into open drains. Municipalities and gram panchayats continue to release untreated sewage and grey water into canal systems. Dumping of solid waste and release of industrial waste water along the canal banks, non-recruitment of Lascars, and other factors resulted in a situation of unregulated canals and unchecked encroachments.

“Absence of ground-level vigilance led to a collapse of the irrigation-drainage equilibrium, threatening agricultural sustainability, potable water availability and the socio economic well-being of the district’s population,” it is pointed out.