WARANGAL:Lingampally village in Chilpur mandal of Jangaon district is turning into another Mallana Sagar with the villagers now opposing the Telangana government’s proposal to construct the 9.16 tmc Malkapur reservoir by displacing them.
As per the initial survey, the whole of Lingampally village and four tribal hamlets (Panchangala, Yapalbolla, Devoji and Ratna) surrounding it as well as about 300 acres of land in Malkapur village would be submerged by the proposed reservoir.
The government is planning to acquire about 4,200 acres for the reservoir. According to sources, the water from the reservoir will be used for both drinking and irrigation facilities in Warangal town. The reservoir will be constructed at an estimated cost of `3,200 crore. The project is likely to displace around 1,200 families.
Since those most affected by the project would be the villagers of Lingampally, they have started opposing it. They have already formed a Joint Action Committee and started by staging protests in their village. They recently met Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari and requested him to see that their village is saved. The villagers have even gotten in touch with the people affected by the Mallanna Sagar Project, who are at loggerheads with the government, seeking guidance and support. “We met villagers of Mallanna Sagar and requested them to help us. They assured us all possible help. They would be visiting us shortly,” a farmer Koyyada Rajaiah said. It may be recalled that Vemulaghat villagers are protesting acquisition of their land for the Mallana Sagar Project under controversial GO 123.
It is not just farmers and farm labourers who would be affected by the proposed Malkapur reservoir in Jangaon district but also fishermen, toddy tappers, shepherds and other people who depend on various traditional vocations.
There are hundreds of palm trees, water tanks and lakes in the Lingampally village and the surrounding hamlets. The entire belt, being very fertile, has excellent green cover area and abundant water for irrigation and drinking purposes.
The villagers feel that if the entire village was submerged they would not only lose their land, homes and means of livelihood but also their identity.
“What would we tell future generations about where we belong, if our entire village is submerged. We are so much attached to our lands and village that we do not want to part with it at any cost,” says villager Suresh.
Farmer Adunuri Ravinder, who has about 17 acres of land is also upset. “How do you expect us to leave all this and go to an unknown place. We know only farming. If at all government provides us land also we have to start from scratch. It will take years to come to this stage,” he said.
Few ready to shift
However, there are a few who are ready to shift if the government offers good compensation. A villager, who did not wish to be named, said that there is around 375 acres of land in Chinna Pendyal in the district to which the entire village could be shifted.
However, people like him fear expressing their views openly lest they face ire. Their fate will be decided after the government receives the survey.