Balancing reservoir makes marriages elude Lingampally

Jangaon: Purumani Yadagiri, who has to get his four daughters married, is a confused lot and clueless. Although this farmer owns eight acres, he has been struggling to get a suitable match for one of his daughters. He can neither sell his property nor bestow it on his daughter as the fate of his land is unknown.

Like him there are many in Lingampally village who stare at “water grave” with the government firm on constructing a 10.78 tmc ft capacity balancing reservoir expanding the existing Malkapur tank. Since the government had announced its proposal to construct the reservoir on February 2, 2017 in a bid to stabilise the ayacut under Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme, understandably there are no takers even when land is offered for a throwaway price.

Now it’s more than a year, despite his efforts Yadagiri has failed to get even one of his daughters married. “Even boys of this village are not good bet to get good matches. Fearing displacement, people are turning their back to give their daughters to the boys of this village,” Yadagiri told The Hans India.

Land gives courage to live not the cash in hand as it may evaporate at any time, he said, cursing his fate. "Come what may, I am not ready to part with my land," he asserted.

Notwithstanding the residents’ refusal to part with their land for the proposed reservoir, the government accorded administrative sanction for the release of Rs 3,220 crore to take up the construction a few days ago. However, the decision drew huge applause from the people elsewhere in Jangaon and Warangal Urban districts; it was the worst fear of the villagers that came true.

The reservoir is likely to submerge nearly 5,400 acres displacing the residents of Lingampally, Yapalabodu Tanda, Devoji Tanda, Panchangala Tanda and Ratna Tanda, besides some a part of Kommugutta village.

According to the government, the proposed reservoir is expected to make total use of Devadula waters. As of now, together the 17 reservoirs constructed under the Devadula scheme could hold just 8 tmc ft of water. Against this backdrop, the proposal for the construction of Lingampally reservoir came to fore to make use of 38 tmc ft of Godavari waters drawn through Devadula so that ensure irrigation facility for one lakh acres.

Meanwhile, there is a split of opinion among the villagers with some opposing and the others content to take a suitable package.

Lingampally Upa-Sarpanch Mamidala Balaraju said: “It’s a unilateral decision taken by the government without taking the residents’ opinion into consideration. The reservoir may be useful to other parts of the region, but what about the locals whose livelihood is predominantly agriculture.”

If displacement is inevitable, a package something like ‘land for land’ and ‘house for house’, besides providing a job each to those oustees’ families is accepted, he said.

Kandlakolu Balaraju, Congress Chilpur mandal general secretary, said: “There is no need for Lingampally balancing reservoir when we have Gandi Mallanna, Dharmasagar and others within a radius of 20 km. The government could save the village from submergence if it reduces the capacity of the reservoir.”