Farmers and tribals of various villages of Sironcha taluk in Chadchiroli district of Maharashtra have raised a banner of protest for keeping them in the ‘dark’ about the proposed Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project to be constructed across the Godavari at Medigadda village near Kaleshwaram temple town in the district.
A public hearing was convened by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board in Pochampalli village of Sironcha taluk in Maharashtra along the border of the Telangana district on Wednesday amid unprecedented security arrangements by deploying huge number of police forces. The police blocked the entry of former legislators of Maharashtra — Deepak Dada Athram (president of Adivasi Vidyarthi sanghatan, Chandrapur district) and P R Thalandi and their supporters till the public hearing got over. The villagers alleged that it was a “one-sided” affair as they were not given any chance to speak.
Not allowed
Even the Telangana police team of Mahadevpur and Kaleshwaram police stations led by DSP KRK Prasad Rao had opened a check-post on the Kaleshwaram bridge across the river and detained the Congress leaders lead by DCC spokesperson Sashibushan Kache and party leader Gomasa Srinivas and others from going to the public hearing in Maharashtra. The opposition parties were allowed to visit the public hearing spot only after completion of formal programme by the authorities.
As soon as the Congress leaders visited the villagers, the tribals and other villagers poured out their woes stating that the district authorities had not informed about the total submergence of the villages under the Kaleshwaram project and its height. The villagers feared that Pochampalli, Vadidam, Lambadipalli, Pentipaka, Kothapalli, Aruda and Thumnoor are some of villages which are going to be submerged under the project.
No information
The villagers alleged that the authorities have not provided the detailed project report (DPR) about the proposed construction of barrage at the Medigadda village and submergence of lands in Telangana and Maharashtra. They also said that the Kaleshwaram project does not have CWC clearance and Planning Commission approval.
They alleged that the public hearing was conducted only as an eye-wash to complete the formalities, neglecting the plight of tribals and inmates of the villages that are likely to be submerged. They criticised both Telangana and Maharashtra state governments for not preparing a detailed project report (DPR) about the Medigadda barrage (Kaleshwaram project) such as submergence of the lands in both the states and height of the project. The meeting was conducted by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board regional officer Hema Mayuri Deshpande, Gadchiroli additional district magistrate Durgesh Sonwane and Kaleshwaram project Chief Engineer N Venkateshwarlu.
