Telangana leaders oppose, Seemandhra accepts merger khamman district merger with AP

Hyderabad: Centre’s step to merge seven mandals of Khammam with AP has triggered severe reaction. Majority of leaders of various parties from Telangana have vehemently opposed the construction of the Polavaram dam in its present form, which will submerge 205 villages in Khammam district, most of them being tribal hamlets, warranting large scale displacement of tribal population.

This has escalated the fears of Seemandhra people and leaders who consider the Polavaram Dam (when constructed) to be the lifeline of their state which will help with flood control to some extent, bring additional irrigation of 7 lakh acres, generate nearly 1000 MW hydel power and above all, will be the main source of water for both drinking and irrigation purposes in north Andhra region.

While Telangana parties are firm in their opposition to the merger of villages as well as the construtction of Polavaram Dam, Seemandhra parties and organisations supported the merger citing that the entire Bhadrachalam revenue division was in Seemandhra prior to the formation of Andhra Pradesh state in 1956.