For Gunte Rajappa and several other farmers of Peeparpally village in Raikode mandal, going to work on their farms is a great risk which they have to take daily. They have got used to the problem since the past three decades or so.
A stream adjacent to Peeparpally flows into Singur project and whenever the reservoir is filled the backwaters reach the other side of the village, cutting off the residents from their fields. Some 70 farmers till close to 200 acres of land located on the other side of the village and as the water cuts off the connectivity, the villagers use makeshift rafts made of thermocol sheets to reach their fields.
“It is dangerous always. Recently my son and three of his friends had a close shave when they fell into the water. Several such incidents had taken place in the past. A bridge across the stream has been sanctioned long ago but no work has been taken up so far. Both Congress and TRS claimed that they got the work sanctioned but none took the responsibility to complete it,” Mr. Rajappa told The Hindu adding that scores of farmers have been moving on thermocol sheets every day risking their lives.
On February 18, 2019, a foundation stone was laid for the construction of bridge at an estimated cost of ₹ 3.15 crore with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) assistance. The bridge has not been completed for reasons best known to the officials.
“We face this problem whenever the Singur reservoir is full. During summer, part of the water will be cleared as it water is released from the reservoir. Even then the problem is will totally addressed as there is some water in the stream. The only permanent solution is construction of a bridge. We wish that officials should respond at the earliest,” said Hari, a native of that village and staying in the district headquarters.