Hyderabad: The TRS government is coming under strong criticism from farmers in Mahbubnagar district who are upset about not being informed about their rehabilitation and compensation for their land that is going to be submerged under the proposed Palamur Lift Irrigation project.
Similar apprehensions are being aired about raising the height of the Dindi Project and Jurala Pakala canal schemes.
Almost all the political parties in the district are opposing the Jurala Pakala gravitational canal, the brain child of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, stating that it will take away the district’s rights over Krishna River waters.
The state government has proposed a massive lift irrigation scheme that envisages new irrigation in Mahbubnagar and Ranga Reddy districts besides augmenting drinking water needs for Hyderabad.
However, farmers in 34 villages of Koilkonda and Madduru mandals of the district are up in arms against the scheme alleging that the government so far has not consulted them on the project or hasn’t said anything about compensation and rehabilitation.
The main worry of the farmers is about the government’s intention to construct a massive reservoir with 70 TMC ft capacity at Koilkonda, which they fear will submerge majority of villages in Koilkonda, Dhanwada, Madduru and Kosigi mandals including a lot of agricultural land.
Meanwhile, Telugu Desam state secretary and ZPTC member Balsingh Naik said that unless the farmers were united under one banner and fought for justice, the TRS government might go ahead with the construction without addressing their problems.
He had organised a big meeting with farmers of the villages that are likely to be submerged in the project at Mahbubnagar recently.
The farmers have formed an association and its leader, Mr Srinivas Reddy, said it was feared that over 1 lakh acre would be submerged in the proposed reservoir.
“We demand land for land and house for hou-se for all and will organise a ‘Mahbubnagar collectorate seize programme’ soon,” said Mr Ravinder Reddy, a farmer.
They also said that the government should consider constructing a reservoir with 20 TMC ft capacity instead of going ahead with 70 TMC ft capacity.
