Farmers in Alampur Struggle Due to Water Shortage
Farmers in 16 villages of Alampur taluka, located in Jogulamba Gadwal district, are facing a severe crisis. Their crops, spread across nearly 20,000 acres, are on the verge of drying up due to a lack of irrigation water. In desperation, they have approached District Collector B.M. Santosh, requesting the release of water from the Tungabhadra River.
The farmers pointed out that the river currently holds 15 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) of water. They believe that releasing just 2 TMC would be enough to save their crops. They have urged the district administration to act quickly to prevent major financial losses.
Political Leaders Support the Farmers
Leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have extended their support to the farmers. BRS state leader Kuruva Pallayya, along with Nagar Doddi Venkataramulu and CPI district leader Anjaneyulu, attended the protest and criticized the Telangana government for not addressing the issue.
Kuruva Pallayya questioned Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s silence on the matter. He reminded the public that in the past, leaders had approached the Karnataka Chief Minister to secure water for RDS (Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme) farmers. However, he noted that those same leaders are now missing in action.
Farmers Threaten Hunger Strike
Frustrated by government inaction, the farmers have warned that they will stage a hunger strike at the RDS barrage if the required 2 TMC of water is not released. They, along with opposition leaders, are demanding immediate intervention from the state government to prevent further crop loss and potential farmer suicides.
With the kharif season at risk, farmers are anxiously waiting for a response from the government. They hope that their urgent plea will be heard before it is too late.