Anti-Polavaram protestors enter Khammam on Day 4 of padayatra

The Maha Padayatra taken out by activists owing allegiance to various constituent organisations of the ‘People Against Polavaram Project’ (PAPP) entered Chintur mandal on the fourth day of the march on Friday.

PAPP activists embarked on the padayatra from Podia in Malkangiri district of neighbouring Odisha State on July 1 to exert pressure on the Centre to shelve the Polavaram project.

Participants of the padayatra, including representatives of various adivasi organisations and leaders of student unions, reached Chintur mandal headquarters in the afternoon after covering several adjoining tribal habitations in both Odisha and Chhattisgarh States.

PAPP representatives J. Ramesh, S. Venkataramana, S. Murali and others led the foot march.

They were accorded a traditional welcome by adivasis of Mukunur village in Chintur mandal on their arrival en route to Bhadrachalam town.

Sources said the PAPP activists conducted meetings at several habitations and constituted village-level committees in the mandal to step up the mass movement against the project.

They reportedly discussed adopting resolutions in gram sabhas against the project to prevent the alleged imminent large-scale displacement of lakhs of adivasis in the three States. The ongoing fortnight-long padayatra will culminate in a public meeting in the temple town of Bhadrachalam on July 15.