Villagers protest against Gandikota reservoir

Kadapa: The villages which are near the Gandikota reservoir are said to be in a fright as the State government had decided to fill the reservoir with to fill 5.50 tmc ft ft in the first phase against total capacity of 26.50 tmc ft to provide Pattiseema water to Pulivendula constituency for drinking and agriculture purposes.

The villages which are situated under the purview of Gandikota reservoir like Kondapuram, Choutipalle, Gundluru , Bommepalle, 22 panchayaths of Mudanuru , and Kondapuram mandals were earlier assured of compensation if these villages were submerged due to water flood from the reservoir.

Residents of these places are held up in between the compensation and the political clutch between the ruling and the Oppositions.

However, the proposal by the government to fill the reservoir has triggered the public to protest against the move on Anantapur national highway since last 35 hours.

According to the sources, there was 3.285 tmc ft’s of water was stored in the Gandikota reservoir on Wednesday by securing 1,040 cusecs of inflows everyday and in addition the government had proposed to fill 5.50 tmc ft in the first phase against total capacity of 26.50 tmc ft to provide Pattiseema water to the Pulivendula constituency for drinking and agriculture purposes.

According to the GO No 69 of R&R (Rehabilitation and Resettlement ), the government will have to pay the compensation to the people of the submerged villages in two phases, if the water was filled up to Full Reservoir Level (FRL).

This phases were proposed after the government had decided to act on the move.

In first phase, the government will have to pay Rs 6.75 lakh to the displaced and in the second the government have to pay Rs 3 lakh to people who agree to stay in the rehabilitation colonies allotted by the government near Pulivundula constituency.