Jurala ran dry; Gadwal celebrated cake

Farmers protested across Jogulamba Gadwal on September 21, demanding irrigation water from the Jurala project after releases were stopped following paddy planting, according to multiple reports. Protests were reported at the dam, on roads leading to Gadwal and outside the collectorate. Officials said available water was being reserved for drinking-water needs; the state has also cited weak upstream inflows. [1][2]

That same day, Gadwal MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy attended birthday programmes at his camp office and elsewhere in the constituency, including cake-cutting, student events and food distribution, according to a separate report. The timing of each programme against the protests is not established, and there is no evidence here that the MLA ordered the canal stoppage or personally ignored a request for help. His only recorded comment was a prayer for Gadwal’s people and farmers. [3][4]

Irrigation officials reportedly complained to police after farmers opened a canal gate themselves. The MLA has not publicly responded to the protest or the criticism over the celebrations. Jurala’s storage figures, the affected acreage, the FIR details and any final irrigation decision have not been published in the material reviewed. [5]

The cake was documented. The water schedule was not.