Upping the ante against the alleged encroachments on floodplains of Wyra river adjoining the reservoir of Nizam-era at Wyra town, the Telangana Rythu Sangham has called for a sustained farmers’ movement to protect the interests of the ayacutdars of the Wyra medium irrigation project.
The Rythu Sangham is readying to launch a joint stir by involving the Wyra Project Ayacut Parirakshana Committee and other farmers’ organisations to press for removal of alleged encroachments on the floodplains of the Wyra river and the surroundings of the reservoir.
A delegation of the Rythu Sangham led by its district president B Rambabu on Saturday visited the alleged "encroached portion" of the river’s floodplains near the reservoir at Wyra as a prelude to launch an agitation over the issue, sources said.
Various farmers’ organisations have long been demanding concrete measures to protect the areas along the riverbed and reservoir site from alleged encroachments.
The Wyra medium irrigation project, encompassing about 25,000 acres of ayacut spread in Wyra, Thallada and Bonakal mandals, is the lifeline for farmers in the three mandals, said Mr Rambabu.
An unauthorised fish pond has come up on the floodplains of the river close to the reservoir recently, he charged, alleging that the fish pond will not only cause pollution but obstruct the flow of water and reduce the water carrying capacity of the reservoir.
The Wyra reservoir is the prime source for the Mission Bhagiratha project’s Wyra segment comprising about 12 mandals, he noted.
We have already brought the matter to the notice of the officials concerned seeking urgent action to remove all the encroachments along the reservoir site, Mr Rambabu said.
He said efforts are on to launch an agitation in a phased manner to press for restoration of the original irrigation potential of the Wyra project.
All the elected representatives of the Wyra constituency should join hands to protect the river ecosystem and the ayacut spanning 25,000 acres in three mandals, he urged.