30-07-2025
Farm ponds offer income boost to farmers
Giddalur, Prakasam Dist: Prakasamdistrict collector A Thameem Ansariya emphasised that farmers can significantly enhance their income by utilising individual farm ponds constructed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
On Tuesday, the collector inspected several farm ponds in Kandulpuram and within Cumbum panchayat limits. She visited ponds built on various farmers' lands, accompanied by officials. During her inspection, the collector engaged with farmers about their crop cultivation and participated in sapling planting alongside the officials. She also interacted with MGNREGA workers regarding their weekly wages and addressed concerns raised by some workers about delayed payments.
The collector explained that farm ponds are crucial for conserving rainwater by facilitating its percolation into the ground, preventing wasteful runoff. She highlighted that these structures primarily enable farmers to diversify and develop multiple income sources. She reported that 1,075 individual farm ponds have been completed across the district, with an additional 800 currently under construction. In Cumbum mandal specifically, 50 out of 140 planned ponds are complete, while 78 others are in progress. Markapur Sub-Collector Sahadith Venkat Trivinag, DRDA PD Joseph Kumar, Tahsildar Kiran, APD Bhaskar Rao, and others were present.
