Kupti project may turn another mini- Polavaram

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.

Land only for poor Backward Communities

After distributing three acres to landless scheduled tribes (STs), the state government is contemplating distributing government lands to the landless poor of the under-developed castes among the backward communities (BCs).

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had already announced that STs will be given three acres on the similar lines of Dalits. A list of castes which are still lagging behind economically, politically and socially among the BCs is being prepared by the state government.

The intensive household survey held recently had helped officials get information about the socio-economic conditions of the poor castes among BCs.

The government will purchase private lands, if there is a shortage of government land for distribution among poor in the BCs.

Minister for forest and environment Jogu Ramanna told Deccan Chronicle that he and his colleagues urged Mr Rao to consider giving land to washermen, potters, barbers and others, all belonging to BCs.The state will distribute 3 acre land to the landless poor among STs after March 31 next year.