Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan has pledged a post-Dasara visit to the Sankaraguptam irrigation drain area within Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district. His mission: to personally investigate the alarming large-scale decline of coconut trees, a crisis that has brought immense hardship to local farmers.
On September 20, Mr. Kalyan shared on social media platform X, acknowledging the profound suffering of coconut farmers across 13 villages, including Kesanapalli, Karavaka, Gollapalem, Gogannamatam, and Sankaraguptam. He expressed his determination to engage directly with the affected agricultural communities.
The Deputy Chief Minister emphasized his commitment to understanding the root causes of this devastation. He stated his intention to not only interact with the farmers but also to hold crucial discussions with experts from the Irrigation and Agriculture departments, along with leading scientists, to devise effective solutions.
This urgent intervention comes after earlier reports highlighted the critical situation facing these farmers and the environmental damage along the Sankaraguptam irrigation drain, illustrating a dire scenario where “water scorches the earth.”
Tragically, over the past six years, more than 100,000 coconut trees have perished in the Central Godavari delta. This widespread destruction is attributed to saline backwaters infiltrating and poisoning the soil in villages adjacent to the Sankaraguptam irrigation channel, rendering the land inhospitable for these vital crops.