Bhadrachalam ryots in the dark about compensation

KHAMMAM: Farmers residing on both sides of the Godavari river in Bhadrachalam and Manugur divisions are worried over whether or not they would receive compensation for the lands they will lose due to construction of the Seethamma barrage. Ryots are demanding the government to finalise the compensation issue before conducting survey of their lands.

The State government proposed construction of Seethamma barrage on Godavari river at Ammagaripalli village in Aswapuram mandal at an estimated cost of `2,632 crore. The new barrage will store 35 tmcft water which can be lifted for the Sri Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project for irrigation and for drinking purposes. They have also proposed a 20-km-long bund to the downstream area on both sides of the river to protect villages from submersion in the backwaters.

According to Superintendent Engineer A Venkata Krishna, construction of the bund on the left side would begin from Dummagudem in Cherla, while the one on the right would be from Ammagaripalli in Manugur. For both the bunds, officials need to acquire about 3,584 acres. But the farmers are not willing to give up their lands as most of them are poor. Officials have launched a survey for land acquisition but farmers are stopping them demanding that they finalise the compensation first. Ryots say the government should pay them as per the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.