RAJAHMUNDRY: Expressing concern over non-availability of Godavari river water for cultivation of paddy, especially in tail-end areas of Godavari delta region, a section of farmers from Mogaltur mandal in West Godavari intend to announce crop holiday to avoid raising paddy during the Kharif season.
The farmers alleged that though Godavari water was being released to Godavari Delta region through distributory canals, from June 1st onwards, from Sir Arthur Cotton barrage at Dowleswaram, to enable the farmers prepare the ground to raise crops, the tail-end parts in the Godavari Delta region failed to receive water so far.
They said that this has resulted in seepage of sea water into the ground and have been making the land more saline and useless for cultivation of crops in the long-term.
The farmers said that the command area of Kalipatnam Channel, falling in Mogaltur mandal, is not having water to help the farmers raise paddy and nearly 600 acres land in the area has no water, forcing the farmers to think of giving up cultivation of paddy.
The farmers alleged that as the Godavari Delta modernisation works failed to be completed for several years, due to various reasons, though the water is being released into the distributory canals, it is failing to reach tail-end areas, causing hardships to the farmers to raise paddy and other crops for want of water.
The farmers in East Godavari also alleged that no water was being released to the command area of Pushkar Lift Irrigation Scheme to help them raise mainly paddy and other crops even as the state government has been lifting Godavari water through Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme to pump to Krishna Delta region, to enable the local farmers to raise paddy and other crops in Krishna Delta region.
The farmers turned critical on the state government for diversion of Godavari water to Krishna delta, while ignoring the interests of the farmers in Godavari districts, to help them get water for cultivation of crops.
AP Rytu Karyacharana Samiti official spokesman M.V. Suryanarayana Raju said: “With no water available in some parts of Mogaltur mandal, the farmers have been planning to go for crop holiday for kharif season by not raising paddy, to express their protest against the apathy of the state government in coming to their rescue to ensure supply of water.”
