Amid growing tension across the border in Chhattisgarh, the district administration has deployed four companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to man the four important irrigation projects coming up on river Godavari.
The CRPF companies have been stationed at Tupakulagudem barrage site, Medigadda project, Kannepalli pump house and Annaram barrage in Kaleswaram and Eturunagaram mandals. The Centre had also sanctioned an Indian Reserve Battalion comprising about 800 personnel – eight to 10 companies of force – that would be stationed at a campus for which land has been identified at Mulugu and Eturunagaram. The campus is likely to come up in Mulugu town soon.
Speaking to The Hindu , Superintendent of Police R. Bhaskaran said though there was no threat from Maoists in the district, the police was on high alert in view of the terrain and tension across the border. Of the five new districts carved out of the erstwhile Warangal, Bhupalpalli is the biggest one with 20 mandals largely comprising agency area. Eight mandals including Eturunagaram, Mangapet, Venkatapuram and Koyyur are abutting the Godavari bordering Chhattisgarh, where there is scope for Maoists crossing the river and entering thickly forested areas for shelter.
The Government has embarked upon construction of major irrigation projects across the Godavari and there was need to ensure safety of contractors as well as their property for smooth completion of the work. Tupakulagudem, in particular, is located at a point where the river is narrow making it a vantage point for the Maoists to enter Eturunagaram. Now the area will have 120 fully armed personnel, much higher in number than Maoist armed squads, maintaining round-the-clock vigil.
