Date:27/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/27/stories/2008112752000300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Revenue drains a bane of farmers

Staff Reporter

They wreak havoc during monsoon

Revenue Dept. and ryots not able to maintain them
WUAs need to send proposals to notify drains

Kakinada: Farmers in East Godavari district are up in arms against the ‘revenue drains’ which are doing substantial damage to crops during floods. These are the drains which are supposed to be maintained either by the Revenue Department or farmers themselves. But none of them are able to shoulder this responsibility due to their own valid reasons. It is indeed a formidable task for the farmers because of the financial factor and it is a problem for the Revenue Department too as it does not have funds for that purpose. Result: hundreds of revenue drains, 707 to be precise, cause extensive damage to crops during the monsoon.

In fact, these drains add to the inflows of bigger drains which are maintained by Irrigation Department (Drains), thus aggravating the situation.

According to official sources, revenue drains in the district measure up to a total length of 889 km and are spread in 10 basins. The government is expected to take the policy decision of notifying them as belonging to Irrigation Department and thereby providing funds for maintenance and repairs.

But, the government is in a tight spot as it has to either make the policy change applicable to all districts facing this problem or ignore the farmers’ plea, which it has been doing for long to the detriment of the farm sector at large. It has been a practice in East Godavari district to secure special grants on a temporary basis, for which the Collector has to use discretionary powers. Farmers and Water Users’ Associations (WUAs) have been asking the government to notify the drains .

Notification becomes possible only when the WUA sends proposals to the government through the Collector. This is easier said than done as all the WUAs have to pass resolutions unanimously seeking notification of the drains. Until this happens, the drains will continue to pose a serious problem.

The farmers used to maintain these drains to the extent possible. But after the formation of WUAs they are not coming forward to take up the responsibility due to reasons best known to them, an official of Irrigation Department observes.