The proposed Kupti project site in Neredigonda mandal. |
The proposed Kupti
medium irrigation project in Adilabad by the state government may turn into mini-
Polavaram project which submerged more than 2,000 acres fertile lands and
majority of them belongs to Adivasis, Dalits and backward communities of four
villages in the area.
People of the four
villages will not get any benefit from the project and will lose their lands
like Adivasis in Polavaram project.
Kupti medium irrigation
project, probably as balancing reservoir, was planned near Kupti ghat on the
Kadam vagu. The same water will flow into the Kadam irrigation project and also
Kuntala waterfall.
The Kupti project is to
be constructed between two hills so that the rain water falls into the huge
catchment area where nearly seven streams from bordering Maharashtra flow into
Kadam and Boath streams which merge near Kupti and flows downwards.
Kumari is the grampanchayat
comprising 480 families and 2,200 population. Gajili and Gandhari villages are
tribal villages where nearly 200 Adivasis families living from time immemorial.
Preliminary survey for
the Kupti project was conducted three years ago and now the state government
has called for tender for survey. Mode village in Bajarhatnoor will also get
affected with the backwaters if project is constructed.
Kumari MPTC Atram
Laxman of Gandhari village said, ‘he came to know that his Gandhari village was
not shown in the list of submerged villages but the fact remains different’.
Kumari grampanchayat
has sufficient ground water which enables the farmers to cultivate commercial
also traditional crops like cotton, soya, turmeric, maize and pulses and even
vegetables.
Farmers of grampanchayat
have been getting good yields for a few years. The area is close to NH-44 and
land values were high in the open market compared to other lands in the area.
Kupti project will also
affect the habitat of the many forest animals in the forests located in and
around the Kupti ghats.
Adepu Hanumaiah of
Kumari village worried over losing their fertile and much valuable land under
the proposed project and said the proposed project will not benefit the farmers
of the four villages except losing their lands.
There were strong
allegations that some local top political leaders have started purchasing lands
in the area in the benami names in view of the Kupti project for some time and
lobbied for the project get clearance from the state government with the help
of a top official of the Adilabad working in the irrigation department at
Hyderabad.
Gaddam Bheemreddy of
Kumari said it was very difficult for them to settle down after losing their
valuable lands under project if they do not get right compensation to their
lands and good rehabilitation package.
No comments:
Post a Comment