HYDERABAD: The lush green fields on both sides of the road to Munugode Assembly constituency hint at a dual characteristic – a metropolis in the neighbourhood and hinterland. However, looks can be deceptive -- a considerable part of the vegetation is weeds grown on cultivable lands, owing to the poor irrigation facilities. This is despite the constituency being in close proximity to the perennial river Krishna.
Projects incomplete
Though the TRS government boasts of improving irrigation facilities in the last eight years by spending over Rs 1.3 lakh crore on Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme alone, the southern part of the State, Munugode in particular, is neglected and this has a direct impact on the socioeconomic conditions in the region.
Completion of Sri Ramaraju Vidyasagar Rao Dindi Lift Irrigation Project, Udaya Samudram Lift Irrigation Scheme, Charlagudem, Kistampally reservoir and Shivanna Gudem reservoir, which was aimed at providing irrigation to about 150 villages in Munugode, remains a distant dream, due to which vast stretches of lands lie uncultivated. As a symbol of this gloomy scenario, Sarkar Chetlu (prosopis juliflora - a thorn shrub) and other shrubbery greet visitors in several villages across the constituency.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that there is no irrigation facility to cultivate even an acre of land in the constituency. The predominant source of water for agriculture is borewells,” said Punna Kailash Netha, who is active politically and had played a role in the statehood struggle, which was based on Nllu, Nidhulu, Niyamakalu (irrigation water, funds for development and employment). Netha said that the people in the constituency mostly migrate to surrounding urban areas to work as labourers to eke out a livelihood.
‘Another Mahabubnagar’
“Munugode is another Mahabubnagar,” said Muddham Narishma Goud, a land oustee of Shivanna Gudem reservoir, speaking at a protest demanding better compensation and R&R package to all eligible. He said that the tunnel works of the Dindi project connecting balancing reservoirs remain incomplete. Unlike the villages surrounding Hyderabad, this region is not into the cultivation of vegetables owing to geographical conditions.
Locals neglected
It is quite apt to cite the case of Maligireddy Ananta Reddy of Marriguda mandal who had dug up 100 borewells in desperate attempts to continue agriculture. He became a poster boy during the Telangana movement for Nalgonda district’s backwardness due to lack of irrigation water.
Despite Munugode constituency sharing a boundary with Greater Hyderabad, there are hardly any signs of development and prosperity with several interior parts lacking such key infrastructure as roads. The fact that most of the people live in houses with tiled and iron sheet roofs reflects the situation in Munugode.
Though Choutuppal in the constituency has a pharmaceutical industry belonging to one of the top 100 billionaires in the country, it has failed to provide jobs to locals. Moreover, it has become a cause for concern for the people in the region because of the effluents it releases.
Apart from chemical/pharmaceutical production or processing industries, there are no major companies to provide employment opportunities.“As cotton is largely cultivated in the region, there is a scope for cotton processing units,” said A Vijay Kumar, a youth leader who hails from Kalvakuntla village.
“The government should take initiative to set up cotton processing units. Also, it should encourage food processing units as our region is already highly contaminated with hazardous chemical industries,” Vijay said, ruing the lack of proper transportation facilities. “There are no bus services on some routes. We have to depend on autos, which are also not available in crucial times,” he explained.
Shockingly, there is no government degree college in the constituency while the handful of health centres are plagued by poor and inadequate infrastructure. One silver lining to this gloomy atmosphere is Mission Bhagiratha that has effectively brought an end to the decades-old fluoride problem that blighted on the constituency before the formation of Telangana.