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Prakasam: Water release leads to tension

Revenue and police officials from both the districts rushed to the spot and held talks with the farmers of Nellore.

Nellore: Tense situation prevails at the Rallapadu project in Lingasamudram mandal of Prakasam district close to Nellore district border when farmers in Nellore released water from the project after midnight on Monday without permission, to protect the standing crops from withering.

Revenue and police officials from both the districts rushed to the spot and held talks with the farmers of Nellore. The 100-strong farmers made it clear they were ready to even sacrifice their lives to save the crop, and pointed out that they could not raise crops for the last three years due to water scarcity.

Farmers of the two districts are at loggerheads over sharing of depleting water reser-ves from Rallapadu since February and both have agreed at a meeting on March 2 to release water to Nellore farmers once in ten days.

The water level was 4.2 feet then and the understanding was to release upto 1.2 feet to Prakasam and have need-based supply to Nellore from the balance three feet.

Nearly 1.2 feet of water was released in the first spell to Nellore without any hassles. Trouble started when water release was stopped in the second spell following directions from Prakasam district authorities to preserve the water for the drinking water needs.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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