Delay in canal upkeep may affect agriculture in Krishna Delta in Andhra
VIJAYAWADA: The canal operation and maintenance (O&M) works, which are usually undertaken to ensure the free flow of irrigation water for agricultural activities, seem to be delayed this year as well. The O&M works are carried out before the onset of the monsoon, typically during the summer, to remove aquatic weeds, water reeds, water lettuce, aquatic grass/plants, and accumulated mud from canals and drainage systems, as they can impede/block the water flow.
The authorities proposed to undertake 666 works across the erstwhile Krishna district with an estimation of Rs 25.30 crore this year. However, the works are progressing sluggishly due to the delay in the release of funds.
It may be noted that the Krishna canal system has 20 main drains which flow into the erstwhile district to the extent of 537.37 km, 20 medium drains covering 470.65 km, and another 702 minor drains flowing in an extent of 1,755 km. Additionally, 208 small canals also cater to the irrigation needs of the farmers of both the NTR and Krishna districts.
The O&M works were barely taken up under the previous YSRCP regime, resulting in damage to harvested paddy and standing crop. The rain and flood water inundate paddy fields and stagnate for days as the canals and drainage systems are choked with accumulated mud and water weeds. In turn, the water released for irrigation from the Prakasam Barrage will not reach the tail-end farmers on time, affecting the standing crops.
Speaking to TNIE, Krishna District Irrigation SE Mohan Krishna said they had already sent proposals for 666 works with an estimation of Rs 25.30 crore which were approved by the Cabinet. Besides, another Rs 25 crore is also expected from the government to undertake the O&M works in the Krishna Delta region, he added. A G.O regarding O&M works is expected to be issued by June 2.
'The works are currently being overseen by the Water Users Association (WUAs), and the O&M works are generally carried out with the funds of water user charges (payback funds-Neeti Theeruva) paid by the farmers. But the funds were not properly collected for the past years, adversely impacting the O&M works. The works have already begun in certain places, and the remaining works will commence shortly,' he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
3 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Metro trains start running in Indore as PM inaugurates first phase
The phase, built at a cost of Rs 1,520 crore, has five metro stations, all named in the honour of prominent women -- Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Terminal, Maharani Lakshmi Bai Station, Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi Station, Rani Durgavati Station and Veerangana Jhalkari Bai Station.
Scroll.in
4 hours ago
- Scroll.in
BPSC 71st CCE notification 2025 released for 1250 posts; register from June 2
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has invited online applications from eligible candidates for the Integrated 71st Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination. Eligible candidates can submit their applications on the official website from June 2 to 30, 2025. The Commission aims to fill 1250 posts. Candidates can check the vacancy details, eligibility criteria, age limit, pay scale, and other details available in the notification below: Here's the 71st CCE notification 2025. Application Fee Candidates from outside the state of Bihar/ SC/ ST/ PwD (with 40% or more disability) are required to pay a fee of Rs 150, whereas Rs 650 is applicable to all other candidates. Selection Process The applicants will be shortlisted on the basis of the Preliminary exam, Main exam, and Personality Test.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
No warning, no return
For Mary Meglin, 60, April 29 and 30 will forever remain etched in pain. Her husband, John Fernandes, died at sea on April 29 last year—just a day before his birthday. At 65, John was the most experienced fisherman on his boat. When it capsized near Muthalapozhi, he saved five others before the sea took him. 'My husband was a hero,' Mary says, steady despite her grief. 'He didn't hesitate. Everyone else came back alive because of him. But he couldn't save himself.' John was their sole breadwinner. 'The govt gave us Rs 4 lakh, but it's not enough. We're drowning in debt,' she says. 'We're pleading for a house, some support. This is our life—fishing is all we know.' John had promised he'd return before sunset. Instead, the sea returned his silence. Born and raised in Muthalapozhi, he had learned to swim before he could write. But on that day, unscientific dredging and silt accumulation created violent undercurrents. He was pulled under, just minutes from shore. Their daughter, 40, remains unmarried due to financial hardship. Their son Lijo, 34, abandoned his dreams to return to sea. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Muthalapozhi in Thiruvananthapuram's Perumathura, an estuary where the backwaters meet the sea, has become a place where beauty and tragedy coexist. Once a giver of life, the sea has turned deadly. In 2024 alone, 12 boat accidents claimed four lives. The previous year saw a spike in incidents during July and August. Since 2013, 74 fishermen have died here. The village is exhausted from mourning. Lathika, 40, lost her husband Robin on July 10, 2024. 'He kissed our son goodbye and said, 'Keep the rice ready,'' she recalls. 'By afternoon, someone ran in with the news. The boat flipped near the channel.' Their son, Ryan, is only eight. Lathika now works as a school cleaner, earning Rs 7,000 a month. 'It's not enough to live,' she says. For Malasha, the sea claimed her husband Kunjumon, 42, during a monsoon storm in July 2023. 'I was cooking when someone came running. I didn't expect death.' Only two of the five onboard survived. Now, she supports their children, Kiran, 17, and Anupama, 13, by running a small tailoring shop. 'I don't know what I'm waiting for anymore. Maybe just peace,' she says softly. The survivors carry scars that don't show. Najeeb, 45, clung to broken boat parts after an April 2024 storm. 'We didn't think it was that bad,' he recalls. 'Then it turned on us.' He held onto a floating net pole for two hours before rescue. 'I saw John Fernandes disappear in front of me. He was shouting my name. I couldn't reach him.' Naseeb, 30, survived a sudden capsize last year. 'The water just rose. No warning. It was like the sea decided to swallow us.' He now panics every time he nears the shore. Veteran fisherman Anwar, 52, survived an accident in 2013 and has since raised concerns about the harbour's construction. 'The breakwater is flawed. Dredging is irregular. The channel's too shallow. One mistake, and you're gone,' he says. Fishermen blame these deaths on years of unscientific interventions—poorly designed breakwaters, irregular dredging, and unchecked siltation. These changes have disrupted the sea's natural currents, making even experienced swimmers vulnerable. Kabeer, ward member of Kadinamkulam panchayat, says the danger intensified in 2018 when the Adani Group began cutting 130 metres of breakwater for the Vizhinjam Port construction. 'They brought in a barge and started dredging. It worsened the undercurrents. Since then, 34 people have died,' he says. After each death, the state govt promises action—then forgets. But the people of Muthalapozhi, Puthukurichy, Anchuthengu, and Perumathura persist. They've formed informal rescue teams, share warnings over mobile alerts, and support grieving families however they can. Amid heartbreak, there is resilience. But also rising anger. 'I don't want pity,' says Lathika. 'I just want to make sure the next woman doesn't lose her husband like I did.' As the sun sinks beyond the horizon and fishing boats return—fewer now, more cautious—Muthalapozhi glows golden. But for many, the sea, once a cradle of life, is now a restless threat. Still, the people stay. They have no choice. The sea is their only livelihood. Their only inheritance. Their only hope.
