Farmers under the banner of the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham (APRS) staged a demonstration in front of the Ongole Mandal Revenue Office here on Thursday, demanding urgent completion of repairs to the crest gates of Obul Reddy Gundalakamma reservoir.
Leading the protest, APRS State general secretary K.V.V. Prasad said a year had passed since the gates developed a snag following flash foods. Yet the repairs costing about ₹2.50 crore had not been taken up by the YSR Congress Party government, resulting in about 3 tmc of water going unutilised into the sea, added its Prakasam district general secretary Vadde Hanuma Reddy. They exhorted the government to carry out repairs to gates on a war footing to enable farmers to grow crops at least during this rabi season.
