: Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project opens a barrage of woes in border villages of Maharashtra, Telangana #IndiaNEWS #Social <br>Young farmer and activist Mugdham Tirupathi of Maddikunta village

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Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project opens a barrage of woes in border villages of Maharashtra, Telangana #IndiaNEWS #Social
<br>Young farmer and activist Mugdham Tirupathi of Maddikunta village in Maharashtras Sironcha taluka is furious about how livelihoods have been affected by the flooding of farmlands following the construction KLIS. It took only three years to complete the interstate project, which became operational in June 2019.
Since then, flooding of farmlands has kept people in the border areas of both Telangana and Maharashtra on their toes. Besides Medigadda village in Mahadevpur mandal of Karimnagar district in Telangana, 11 villages Arda, Rajannapalli, Maddikunta, Mrudukrishnapur, Janampalli, Chintalpalli, Nagram, Ramkrishnapur, Karaspalli, Sironcha Rai and Sironcha Mal in Sironcha tehsil of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra have been affected.
Our lives have been spoilt by the governments of Telangana and Maharashtra. We have been protesting even before the construction of the project began in 2016 on Medigadda barrage, the starting point of Kaleshwaram project. We are farmers, give us land not compensation. Otherwise, provide us with Rs 20 lakh per acre. Though hopeless, we will not yield.
For the last four years, I have not even sowed a single cotton seed in my four acres of land due to flooding by the backwater of Medigadda reservoir. If everything was fine, I should have got at least 10 tonnes of cotton per acre. I am losing a minimum of Rs 4 lakh per annum as a tonne of cotton would fetch at least Rs 10,000 to 15,000, said Tirupathi.
He claimed farmers relied on moneylenders, but the mounting interest rates have forced some of them to take up daily wage labour. Yet, that will not be enough to pay up. Our only hope is the next harvest. We can have that only if the government solved our problems. Otherwise, death is the only option. That is why we have announced a mass suicide plan, said a teary-eyed Tirupathi before the increased compensation was announced.
Flood of protests
As per the interstate agreement, the responsibility to obtain all statutory clearances, acquire land likely to be submerged, and provide compensation rests with the Telangana government and the Maharashtra government would facilitate public hearings, land acquisition and conduct of joint survey for acquisition.
The cost of Medigadda barrage is fully borne by Telangana and water utilisation from the storage shall be in the 80:20 ratio. Both states shall have free fishing and navigation rights in the submergence area.
After the first survey, the land for barrage construction was procured from farmers for Rs 10. 50 lakh per acre. When a second survey was carried out recently in the areas affected by submergence, the villagers intensified their protest.
Sitting at the dharna chowk lined with flex boards urging justice for farmers, Venkat Swamy said, From the very moment we learnt about the barrage proposal, we knew it would disturb our lives and livelihoods.

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