Strengthening Village Pond Sparks Row

Kakinada: Strengthening of the bund of a pond has sparked a row at Thokada village in Rajanagaram mandal. Some farmers alleged that despite their cautions, the village sarpanch had breached the bund of the pond, which inundated their crop fields downstream causing huge losses to farmers.

The victim farmers staged a protest in the village, demanding the government do justice to them. The photos of the breached bund of the pond inundating the fields downstream went viral.

However, YSRC leader and village former sarpanch Gandi Vasantha Rao alias Nanibabu condemned their allegations. He said that Rajanagaram MLA Jakkampudi Raja Indravandit released Rs.54 lakhs to strengthen the bund by cleaning the entire pond to fill it with fresh water. As a part of it, the contractor made a small hole to the bund to drain the water from the pond and all steps had been taken to protect the crops or other properties downstream.

He alleged that some Jana Sena activists morphed rain photos with the pond photos and politicised the issue. He stated that another Rs.50 lakh funds would be released for the development of a park, gymnasium and other facilities at the pond.