BRS working president KT Rama Rao has demanded an immediate crop-loss survey and a special compensation package for farmers in Telangana’s erstwhile Mahabubnagar district, alleging that shortages in irrigation water and electricity have damaged cotton and maize crops.
Rama Rao made the demand after visiting cotton and maize fields at Deshitikyal village in Nagarkurnool district and speaking with farmers while returning from Kollapur on Sunday. He said more than 40 per cent of crops had been damaged despite adequate water being available in the Krishna and Godavari rivers.
According to Telangana Today, farmers told Rama Rao that cotton crops had dried up and changed colour, leaving little possibility of fetching even Rs 4,000 a quintal. Maize growers also reported losses. Farmer Shekhar Reddy reportedly told him that he had borrowed Rs 2 lakh to cultivate maize on two acres but lost the crop.
Rama Rao called for a crop survey covering every acre in the affected region and sought a special relief package for farmers who, he said, had been unable to recover their cultivation costs. He held the Congress government responsible for the reported crop losses and accused it of negligence in ensuring irrigation supplies.
The BRS leader cited the availability of 248 TMCft of water this year and said the government should have stored the water, filled tanks and supplied it through canals after weather experts warned of the impact of El Nino. He also alleged that the Kalwakurthy and Palamuru-Rangareddy projects were not being operated to their full capacity. The source report did not include a response from the state government to these allegations.
Farmers also raised concerns over electricity supply for agricultural pump sets. They reportedly said that only single-phase power was available after 7 pm and that interruptions to three-phase supply had made it difficult to operate pumps.
Rama Rao recalled that the previous BRS government had provided irrigation to around 8 lakh to 8.5 lakh acres in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district through the Jurala, Kalwakurthy, Nettampadu, Koilsagar and Palamuru-Rangareddy projects. He further alleged that Krishna River water was being diverted to Andhra Pradesh from the Srisailam reservoir while Palamuru farmers were facing crop losses.
He assured the farmers that he would raise their grievances with agriculture officials and the Agriculture Minister. He also said the BRS would mobilise its MLAs to press the government for relief until compensation was provided.
