New Epurupalem canal plan may end farmer-fisher dispute

A decades-old dispute over the Epurupalem straight-cut canal in Bapatla district may finally be nearing resolution, as officials unveil a plan to divert the canal while ensuring compensation for affected farmers and safeguarding the livelihoods of thousands of fisherfolk.

- BANDHAVI ANNAM @Guntur

Originally constructed in the late 1960s to drain floodwaters from agricultural lands into the sea, the canal has since evolved into a vital corridor for fishing boats and aquaculture.

Today, over 1,300 fisher families across 13 villages depend on it for their daily income. However, rising land values and the expansion of tourism have reignited tensions between farmers, concerned about land submergence, and fisherfolk, who demand uninterrupted access to the sea.