The Geological Survey of India (GSI), Hyderabad, will soon start technical investigations into land subsidence in the Central Godavari Delta. This issue is linked to a defunct 350-kilometre-long irrigation drain system in Dr B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district. On February 1, GSI Director Silendra Kumar Singh and experts inspected the affected areas in the Razole Assembly constituency. They are set to analyze the scientific causes of the sinking land. Razole MLA Deva Vara Prasad told The Hindu, "Land subsidence has been reported in Razole Assembly constituency, where the flow of water in the irrigation drain remains stagnant. A slight sea-level rise is also noticed owing to land subsidence which will be technically investigated by the GSI." He added that the team had completed initial observations and will begin detailed surveys soon. Farmers in Razole, especially in Sakhinetipalli and Malkipuram mandals, could not plant paddy during Kharif 2025-26 and Rabi 2026 due to flooding of their fields. Mohan Krishna, Deputy Executive Engineer of Razole in the Godavari Irrigation Circle, said, "At least 10,000 acres under paddy has been inundated with seawater in Malkipuram and Sakhinetipalli during Kharif and Rabi seasons. We suspect land subsidence caused by stagnant water in irrigation drains and sub-drains extending 350 kilometres in the Central Godavari Delta." The Water Resource Department has involved the GSI and the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH-Roorkee) to find the cause of subsidence. Mr. Mohan Krishna also revealed, "We have sought topography data of the delta from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to monitor any landscape changes." MLA Deva Vara Prasad, a retired IAS officer, remarked, "Onshore oil and gas exploration in the Godavari Delta are believed to be causing land subsidence. The GSI had studied topography changes until 2021, but no fresh observations were made since then." The Central Godavari Delta where the Vashista river meets the Bay of Bengal was earlier known for lush coconut and paddy farming. Now, the land sinking issue poses a threat to the region's agriculture and livelihoods.