MAHABUBNAGAR: The inundation of Aloor village, which is situated in the catchment area of Ryalampadu reservoir, has once again brought to fore the travails of the villagers who have been displaced due to the construction of the reservoir.
The villagers, who were promised an attractive rehabilitation package along with pucca houses, are yet to receive it from the state government despite the fact that the project construction had begun very long ago. The case of Aloor village is not an isolated one. Almost all villages and the villagers who have been affected due to the commissioning of various irrigation projects in the district have a similar story to tell.
The rehabilitation package announced by the state government eleven years ago following the launch of Jalayagnam programme is yet to be implemented in the district. For instance, the Ryalampadu reservoir was constructed as part of Jawahar Nettempadu lift irrigation scheme by the government. It was built with a storage capacity of 4.20 tmcft of water. The project has affected Aloor and Chinnonipally villages in Gattu mandal and displaced 1,246 famiiies from Aloor alone.
The authorities promised to build homes for all the displaced families but 50 families are yet to get houses from the government. They are forced to stay in the same village and their pleas for allotment of homes are falling on deaf ears of the officials.
The displaced families have also not been provided with accommodation at the rehabilitation centre. Only 100 houses have been constructed at the centre by the authorities. The remaining houses are stuck at the stage of foundation. Officials have given ` 40,000 to the displaced families for construction of temporary sheds after taking over their lands. But they forgot to give 750 days of daily wage work to them. This has forced the families to stay put in their village even amid the fear of flooding.
Similar is the case with the displaced families of Chinnonipally. The non- implementation of the rehabilitation package has forced the authorities not to fill the reservoir to its full capacity. It was initially filled with 1.82 tmcft of water released from the Jurala irrigation project as against its full capacity of over 4 tmcft. The same level was maintained till the end of last year.
However, this year the authorities filled the reservoir up to the level of 2.50 tmcft. They are not filling the reservoir to its full capacity fearing that it might flood the villages.
Interestingly, similar is the fate of Sankara Samudram reservoir which has been constructed as part of the second phase of Bhima project.
This reservoir too is not fully filled up, again due to the fear of inundation of the villages situated in the catchment area. As many as 630 families were displaced on account of the construction of the reservoir.
They are not allowing the authorities to fill the reservoir to its full capacity of 1.80 tmcft. The state had sanctioned 933 homes for the displaced families last year. Regrettably, construction of the promised homes has not begun yet.