Denied of two crop seasons and even the benefits such as Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima, the position of a majority of farmers of villages facing submergence in Mallannasagar reservoir, a major component of Kaleshwaram project, is like neither here nor there.
As most of the farmlands of nearly 14,000 acres of private or patta land have been acquired and taken over for construction of the reservoir, agricultural operations in those lands have come to a standstill, denying any income generation activity.
In addition, the dust generated due to rock-blasting operations and earthen dam work has been causing health problems to those living in the habitations located in the vicinity of work areas.
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“We used to cultivate two crops in most of the years as our livelihood, but after our lands have been taken over we are left with no source of income since most of the people in the submergence areas depend purely on agriculture,” Ram Reddy of Singaram village in Thoguta mandal said during a recent visit to the area.
Further, they have also been facing health problems due to the dust in the atmosphere, he added.
The farmers of neighbouring villages and also some in the same village whose lands would not come under submergence getting the benefits of Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima has only become a cause of heartburn among the displaced farmers.
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Only a few farmers those who moved the High Court against the land acquisition have received the benefits that too on the directions of the court.
“Recently, my neighbours having farmland on the other side of the village, which is not going to submerge got ₹4,000 per acre for Rabi season and we have received nothing,” Nampelli of Yetigadda Kishtapur village, whose one acre farmland has been acquired for Mallannasagar, said adding that it was a loss both ways as he did not raise the crops.
Irrespective of the outcome of ongoing elections, the people of displaced villages in Dubbak and Gajwel constituencies appear to be resigned to their fate and have come to a conclusion that their displacement, even in case of change of the guard in the State, could only be delayed for a few years.
“They (government) have written our (village) name on the wall and our displacement is inevitable,” Gulla Gangavva of the same village said expressing her sense of desolation.
Although the survey of properties and assets such as houses, cattle sheds, farm-sheds, fruit-trees, borewells, open wells and other structures is yet to be completed in all the submergence villages, the displaced persons are demanding compensation in the measure that was given to a few villages of Siddipet and Sircilla constituencies under Ananthagiri reservoir, another component of Kaleshwaram project.
“The oustees of Ananthagiri reservoir in the two constituencies have been given handsome compensation for houses and other structures at ₹3,000 per sft but we are being offered in two categories of ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 per sft,” said Kista Reddy, Hanmanth Reddy, Raji Reddy and T. Nagaraju of Yerravally and Singaram villages.