Farmers in Telangana's Mahbubnagar up in arms against state's sand mining decision

With the State government deciding to transport sand from the canal, the farmers fear that it would dry up around 300 borewells and affect farming.
Farmers and villagers protest against the State government’s decision to transport sand from the Dundubhi canal for the construction of 2BHKs, in Mahbubnagar on Tuesday. (Photo| EPS)
Farmers and villagers protest against the State government’s decision to transport sand from the Dundubhi canal for the construction of 2BHKs, in Mahbubnagar on Tuesday. (Photo| EPS)

MAHBUBNAGAR: Farmers in Mahbubnagar protested on Tuesday against the Telangana government’s decision to mine sand from the Dundubhi canal for the construction of 2BHKs. With no perennial rivers or any lift irrigation project in the region, the farmers of Byrampally in Midjil mandal, Ammapalli in Jadcherla mandal and Nekkonda depend on the canal and groundwater for irrigation.   

‘Build check dams’

According to them, illegal sand mining was rampant in the area. Now, with the State government deciding to transport sand from the canal, the farmers fear that it would dry up around 300 borewells and affect farming. They said the government, instead, should construct check dams and warned of leaving their villages if the mining commenced.   

Former Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) member of Barimpally village, Prasad, said they would stop the sand mining at any cost, while Nekkonda village sarpanch Shyamalamma said their fight against the government would continue till the decision was withdrawn. “We are trying to convenience the villagers and farmers of the district to cooperate with the district administration and the State government regarding transporting sand from the Dundubhi canal,” Jadcherla tahsildar Laxminarayana told Express.

300 borewells
in the region would dry up if the Telangana government mined sand from the Dundubhi canal, say farmers who depend on the water source for irrigation

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