RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: Following ceaseless rains and heavy inflows of water into the Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP), the irrigation authorities have decided to release water from the flood flow canal to the Mid Manair Dam (MMD). As per the plan, the officials have informed the land oustees of the project to vacate their houses and relocate in the Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) colonies.
Within the last one month, the process of evacuating residents from the proposed submergence villages has reportedly reached about 90 per cent completion. The authorities have also been giving continuous warnings to the people in the area to stay on high alert. The plan is to fill MMD up to its full reservoir level (FRL) capacity of 25.873 tmcft.
In 2017, many residents from villages including Neelojipalli, Kodurupaka, Cheerlavancha and Rudravaram had vacated their houses and abandoned their villages to reside at the R&R colonies, but many had decided to stay back. This year, however, the authorities have issued strict orders for the proper evacuation of all of the 13 proposed submergence villages, in order to avoid any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, the villagers allege that they are being forced to evacuate without giving them the compensation they should be allocated as per the government’s R&R package.
In addition to this, the people who are relocated are left with no jobs, they added. The R&R colonies also house poor facilities and are neglected by the authorities, alleged Shivakrishna, one of the oustees.
Around 150 persons ousted from the Neelojipalli village alone are reportedly yet to receive their pattas and package.
As per the plan, around 2000 cusecs of water will be released from the SRSP on a daily basis until MMD reaches its FRL level. On the other hand, many reports that water was already being released from SRSP to MMD were doing the rounds on social media, inducing panic among the people.
However, the authorities brushed off the allegation. MMD Superintendent of Engineer Srikanth told Express that preventive measures including the evacuation of villagers are still being conducted and that no water has been released from SRSP until now.
Timeline of the MMD project
The Mid Manair Dam (MMD) works, that began in 2006, was completed by April 2018. The full reservoir capacity of the dam is 25.873 tmcft. Its present water source is the Flood Flow Canal which is connected to SRSP. The project has the capacity to irrigate more than 2 lakh acres. On 25 September 2016, flood water flowed over the incomplete earth dam of the project and breached the earth dam resulting in the inundation of many downstream areas of the project