The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Manjira basin villagers cry for justice

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 15, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Manjira basin villagers cry for justice

Special Correspondent

Plainspeak at public hearing on water issues of Telangana

A fluorosis-affected boy

HYDERABAD: They had this trademark wobbly walk not of their own making but as they captioned it appropriately, "nature's curse and ruler's sin." For those familiar with their plight, they come from the flourosis- endemic villages of Nalgonda district.

From the other corner, Medak and Nizamabad districts came a group of farmers, once a prosperous lot, growing paddy and sugarcane under Nizamsagar canals till water from Singur was diverted for drinking water purposes. With the lifeline cut and their lands turning fallow, today they are an impoverished lot.

Common grouse

Seemingly contrasting groups but they had a common grouse against the establishment. Both groups travelled long distances to the State capital on Saturday not to join the cheerleaders at the Lal Bahadur Stadium where the Government was celebrating one-year in office in a grand manner but to make their feeble voices heard.

"We are here to remind the State of its responsibilities. If the nature had betrayed us, the State too tended to look the other way. Decades have passed by but our plight remains the same. All we want now is safe drinking water," said Yadaiah of Chillapuram village in Nalgonda. Thirty- six- year- old Yadaiah, who walks with the help of a stick, used to work as a cowherd till his twisted legs did not allow him to walk long distance.

He was among the 50 victims of flourosis to give his testimony at the "Public hearing on water issues of Telangana," organised by the Telangana Natural Resource Management Group (TNRMG).

Hearing them out were Justice Vaman Rao, a former Judge of the High Court, K. Rajyalaxmi, former Vice-Chancellor of Padmavati Mahila University and R. Vidyasagar, former Chief Engineer of the Central Water Commission.

`City dwellers favoured'

Speaking on behalf of Medak and Nizamabad ryots, M. Appi Reddy of the Nizamsagar Ayacutdars Protection Committee, said successive Governments had favoured the more articulate city dwellers.

The Governments prefrred to quench their thirst leaving farmers high and dry. The Singur dam, constructed to avoid siltation to the Nizamsagar project, had been turned into one of the main sources of drinking water.

M. Sambasiva Rao of the TNRMG said the public hearing was to demand the restoration of the rights of Manjira basin farmers and supply of safe drinking water to flourosis-affected villages. The public hearing proceedings would be sent to the Chief Minister, Ministers and officials concerned.

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