Delay in the progress of the ambitious Mid Manair Dam (MMD) project at Manwada village of Boinpalli mandal as part of the SRSP flood flow canal has become a cause of concern for land oustees, who are yet to be rehabilitated completely.
The project was taken up in 2006 by the then Congress government with the government acquiring around 20,000 acres of the land, including 14,000 acres of private land for the project from 18 villages of Vemulawada, Boinpalli, Sircilla, Ellanthakunta mandals. The earth work of the project was taken up at a rapid pace by the executing agency but the construction of the main barrage was neglected.
Subsequently, during the rainy seasons, water flowed from the MMD into the Lower Manair Dam as there was no barrage across the project, following the release of surplus waters from the FFC. If the project is completed, it will store 26 tmcs of water and provide irrigation to over 2 lakh acres in Karimnagar district.
In the meantime, the surplus waters from the MMD would flow to Gouravelli project, which will store around 2 tmcs of water and downstream, the waters would flow down to the upland Jangaon and Cheriyal mandals of Warangal district.
After persisting for a long time, the executing agency had started construction of the barrage works as the government had included the MMD in the Telangana Water Grid project to provide water to the adjoining villages. Sources said that the MMD would be completed in another two to three years with the installation of flood gates etc.
On the other hand, land oustees are a worried lot over the non-payment of compensation. Alleging that the revenue authorities were working against land oustees and benefiting only contractors, Karimnagar district land oustees welfare association secretary R. Venkat Rao, who is also an oustee of the project in Chinthalthanda village, said that the government had acquired their land by providing a meagre Rs 2.1 lakh per acre as compensation. It has been over eight years, but compensation has not been paid and villagers not rehabilitated, he stated.
Land oustees alleged that the government had failed to rehabilitate them suitably. The R&R colonies do not have basic amenities such as electricity and drinking water facilities. Oustees demand employment for at least one member of a family who lost his land in the project. They also suggested naming the project Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy irrigation project.
