Signature campaign seeks immediate water release in Kalingarayan Canal
Farmers in the Kalingarayan canal region have launched a signature campaign to demand the immediate release of irrigation water. They claim that delays in water supply are threatening their perennial crops and violating established government orders.
Why it matters
It underscores the tension between agricultural water needs and government infrastructure management in rural India.
Farmers under the Kalingarayan canal irrigation system have submitted a representation to the State government seeking the immediate release of irrigation water, stating that the standing perennial crops are under severe stress due to the delay in water supply.
According to the farmers, a Public Works Department Government Order (G.O. No. 2647), dated November 2, 1966, provides for the release of water through the Kalingarayan Canal every year from June 16 to April 30, a period of ten-and-a-half months. This year, however, water was not released on June 16, with the authorities citing maintenance works being carried out on the canal.
The Water Resources Department subsequently released water only for 15 days, from July 14 to July 28, under G.O. No. 377 dated July 13, 2026, as a special irrigation measure. However, the farmers alleged that the water did not reach the tail-end areas of the canal.
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