Bibipet / Kamareddy (NOB): Demanding immediate filling of the historic chain lake (Golusukattu Cheruvu) in Bibipet to save farmers, Korivi Narasimhulu, husband of Bibipet former MPTC Korivi Neeraja and Kamareddy District Mudiraj General Secretary, released a press note today.

He stated that the lake, spread over more than 500 acres, dates back to the Nizam era and thousands of acres of farmers depend on it for cultivation. He recalled that the area under this lake was once famous for betel leaf gardens, and betel leaves from Bibipet were exported by lorries to Kolkata, where Bibipet leaves were considered a brand.

Being a chain-link tank system, sluices and chain canals were constructed during the Nizam period itself, but today there is no one to take care of this lake, he lamented.

He questioned the government, saying that 15 years ago the Congress government, when in power, had promised to fill Bibipet lake through a lift irrigation scheme with a big pipeline from Mallannasagar, later the TRS government gave the same promise, and now again when Congress is in power, where have those promises gone.

Due to the lake not being filled, farmers from 7 villages – Isanagar, Upparapalli, Naskal Share, Bibipet, Tujalpur, Malkapur, Yadaram and Bibipet village – are unable to cultivate thousands of acres and are forced to go for daily wage labour, he said.

He demanded that the government should focus specially and ensure at least 1 TMC of water to this lake every time, either from Mallannasagar or by any other means, to protect the chain-link tanks.