Konaseema farmers declare crop holiday over neglected irrigation drain

In a significant development, paddy farmers of Thadikona village in Allavaram mandal of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district have declared a crop holiday across 189 acres, citing government inaction over encroachments and the lack of desilting and widening of the Peekaleru irrigation drain. The farmers also expressed concern about saline water from nearby aquaculture ponds seeping into their paddy fields, threatening their crops.

The collective decision drew public attention when farmers displayed flex banners in their fields on August 3, urging immediate government intervention to address their grievances. As of August 4, the farmers had neither raised paddy nurseries nor begun cultivation in nearly 200 acres along the banks of the drain during the ongoing Kharif 2026-27 season.

In response, District Collector R. Mahesh Kumar deputed a team of officials to assess the situation. Led by District Agriculture Officer M.V. Rama Rao, officials from the Agriculture, Aquaculture, Water Resources (Drains Wing), and Revenue departments visited the village on Tuesday and held discussions with both paddy and aquaculture farmers.

During the inspection, the farmers demonstrated how blockages in the Peekaleru drain had led to the inundation of agricultural fields. The officials observed silt accumulation in the drain and seepage of water from adjoining aquaculture ponds into nearby paddy fields. The farmers reiterated their demand for a fresh revenue and irrigation survey, desilting and widening of the drain, and action against unauthorised aquaculture ponds surrounding agricultural lands.

Speaking on the matter, District Agriculture Officer M.V. Rama Rao said, “The paddy farmers have demanded desilting and widening of the Peekaleru irrigation drain and regulation of aquaculture activities. They have also raised concerns over encroachments on the drain and the entry of saline water into paddy fields.”

The officials assured the farmers that their grievances would be addressed and appealed to them to withdraw the proposed crop holiday. The situation underscores the larger challenges faced by farmers in the region, where competing land uses and inadequate infrastructure maintenance threaten traditional agriculture. The district administration has yet to announce a concrete timeline for the proposed works.