Gadwal Collector told to form panel to inspect inundation of crops

Hyderabad: The High Court at Hyderabad on Wednesday directed the Gadwal district Collector to form a three-member committee to inspect on ground the situation arising out of inundation of unacquired farm lands leading to loss of standing crops and provide compensation to the farmers within three weeks.

Justice S V Bhatt passed the order on Wednesday after hearing arguments on a petition filed by 51 affected farmers of Dornala and Kotthapalem villages under Dharoor mandal of Gadwal district.

Taking serious view of the sudden damage to the standing crops at the harvest stage, the judge directed the Gadwal district Collector to constitute a team consisting of the Executive Engineer, PJP, Gadwal, the Special Deputy Collector of Land Acquisition, Jawahar Lift Irrigation Project and the Tahasildar of Dharoor mandal to inspect the lands of the petitioners within three days from Wednesday and determine whether lands that were not acquired in 2005 were also inundated due to filling of reservoir with water and if so, the damage caused.

The judge also directed that all steps must be taken for paying compensation to the crop loss, loss of infrastructure like borewells, sheds, et,c and amount so determined must be paid to the petitioners within three weeks from the date of the report. The matter has been posted to three weeks for further hearing.

Earlier senior counsel S Satyam Reddy appearing on behalf of the petitioners brought to the notice of the court that due to inundation of crop for the last two months, the farmers had not only lost the standing crops but also the opportunity to sow in the rabi season.

The government pleader sought time to verify whether the inundation was in lands that were not acquired in 2005. The judge ordered formation of a committee and it must submit its report to the district collector.