BRS blames Congress government for Palamuru water crisis
Former Minister C. Laxma Reddy visited Ammapur village to inspect withered crops and demanded compensation for farmers.
Former Minister C. Laxma Reddy and former MP Manne Srinivas Reddy visited Ammapur village in Nawabpet mandal on Sunday to inspect withered crops. The BRS district unit attributed the water crisis in the erstwhile Palamuru region to the Congress government's failure to finish pending irrigation projects.
Laxma Reddy stated that crops have dried up because of power cuts and drought. He also noted that motors and transformers have been burning out, adding that the farming community is facing hardships due to insufficient power supply.
During the visit, a farmer named Balayya reported that crops on four of his eight acres have withered after an investment of Rs 2 lakh. Laxma Reddy said the situation exists because the Palamuru-Rangareddy project remains incomplete.
The former Minister claimed that if project work had progressed over the last three years, reservoirs could have been filled up to Karivena. He noted that while the Palamuru-Rangareddy project has reservoirs with a combined capacity of 70 TMC, no large reservoirs were built under the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme.
Laxma Reddy accused the Congress government of using El Nino to avoid responsibility for failing to provide water and power. He also alleged the government is playing politics regarding the declaration of drought-hit mandals.
The former Minister demanded that Nawabpet and Midjil mandals be declared drought-affected and called for compensation for the withered crops.