Farmers Protest Over Illegal Water Diversion in Wanaparthy
Farmers in the D-19 ayacut villages of Wanaparthy district are upset over the unauthorized diversion of water from the Priyadarshini Jurala main canal to fish ponds. They allege this was done with the support of officials and politicians.
About a week ago, water was released from the canal as scheduled. However, some farmers from the outskirts of Ramapuram and Rangapuram villages, under the D-18 canal, took advantage of the situation. They reportedly broke the canal embankment near a bridge leading to the fisheries college. Using JCB machines and tractors, they removed large stones to create a barrier and diverted the water into nearby fish ponds. They also lifted the emergency gates with the help of JCBs to aid the diversion.
This illegal action disrupted the water supply to other villages under the D-19 canal. When the affected farmers realized the issue, they gathered in large numbers at the Priyadarshini Jurala Project office in Pebbair to demand answers. However, they found that no officials were present at the office.
Frustrated by the lack of immediate action, the farmers contacted the concerned Executive Engineer (EE) and urged a swift resolution to restore the water flow.
