At a public hearing on Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for Kaleshwaram reservoir canals held here on Wednesday, all the stakeholders welcomed the government’s move to extend irrigation facility to Hatnoora, Andol, Kalher and Narayankhed.
With these areas being backward for decades in the absence of irrigation facility, the government’s decision would help in arresting the migration of the villagers to cities in search of work, they felt.
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Benefits explained
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The hearing was presided over by District Collector Manickaraj Kannan and attended by Joint Collector Vasam Venkateswarlu, Kaleshwaram project Superintending Engineer Madhusudhan and Environment Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI) representative Kavitha. Mr. Madhusudhana and Ms. Kavitha explained to the attendees the benefits of the project and its impact on the environment.
Initiating the discussion, Shyam Prasad Reddy, a member of Retired Engineers’ Association, said the project would bring over 18 lakh acres under irrigation while stabilising another 18 lakh acres in the district. He also said this would improve biodiversity in the region and increase the groundwater level. Telangana Rytu Raskahana Samithi leader K. Raghavender Reddy said the farmers need not completely depend on bore-wells once the project was completed.
Congress leader and MTPC member P. Sanjeeva Reddy said that the public hearing should have been held before the commencement of the work, but the work on Kaleswaram reservoir canals had already begun with no legal sanctity. He also alleged that the EPTRI had submitted its report without conducting a proper survey.
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CPI(M) leader A. Manikyam said there was a need to allocate 20 tmc ft water to meet the requirement of the constituency and the land oustees were yet to be paid compensation under the LA Act-2013.