Damage to Medigadda barrage spells doom for Manthani farmers

MANTHANI (BHUPALAPALLY): Farming activities in the bordering villages of Telangana have been hit following the damage to the Medigadda barrage in Manthani Assembly Constituency in Jayashankar Bhupalapally district.

Farmers cultivate crops such as cotton, chilli, and paddy addy in the area and they employ agriculture labourers from bordering villages of Maharashtra for weeding, picking, spraying pesticides, and other work.

However, the number of labourers coming from Maharashtra has reduced since they had to cross the Godavari river to reach villages in Telangana following the temporary closure of the bridge of the Medigadda barrage.

Anjaiah of Medigadda said they pick and drop off the labourers from Maharashtra in their private vehicles during the season and now vehicles are not allowed to enter the bridge.  "Now, the labourers from Maharashtra have to travel 70 km via Kaleshwaram and Mahadevpur to reach the bordering villages of  Manthani," he said.

Maharashtra agriculture labourers of bordering villages lost the employment, they usually get every year during the agriculture season.  

Anjaiah said they used to engage agriculture labourers from Pochermpalli, Nadikuda, Kothapalli, Dusshabodda, Gorrepalli, Rangadampeta, Ankisa and Asarelli of Aheri of Gadchiroli of Maharashtra.