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Baswapur redesign to save seven villages

Precautionary measures taken before farmers' objections could turn into anger.

Hyderabad: The reservoir proposed at Baswapur in Nalgonda district as part of the Kaleshwaram project has been redesigned to save seven villages from submergence.

The planned Mallanna sagar reservoir in Medak district which is part of the Kaleshwaram project is facing stiff opposition from farmers and villagers facing submergence, forcing the work to be halted for over six months.

The government took precautionary measures at Baswapur even before the agitations picked up steam.

The original capacity of the Baswapur reservoir was 14.16 tmc ft. Farmers opposed the new reservoir as it would submerge seven villages and about 6,000 acres of farmland.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao told officials to reduce its storage capacity to 11.39 tmc ft to save the villages.

The reservoir design has been changed multiple times, as the CM was keen on increasing its storage capacity to meet the needs of Nalgonda district. Originally, its storage capacity was just 0.8 tmc ft. It was increased to 8 tmc ft and then to 10 tmc ft and finally to 14.16 tmc ft.

This necessitated acquisition of more land which will result in nearly 2,000 families in seven villages getting displaced.

Residents of these villages went on agitation path against the increase in capacity. People from the surrounding villages extended their support to the agitation, forcing the government to redesign the reservoir and reduce storage.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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