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Landless but hands full

Staff Reporter

State rural employment scheme is making headway among the landless poor

RIGHT ON THE JOB: Landless labourers engaged in tank restoration work in Vishwanathapuram in Warangal district on Thursday. - Photo: M. Murali

STATION GHANPUR (WARANGAL DT.): People in Viswanathapuram are in a mood to celebrate. Mostly, the landless agricultural labourers, for they have a vocation now.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) scheme has come as a blessing. At a time when the farmers with small and marginal land holdings are busy tilling their lands, these landless poor are busy engaged in restoring the age-old tank of the village. "Besides earning a wage, we are involved in a work that benefits the whole village," says Sivaratri Komuraiah, an elderly person at the site.

Water storage

The tank in the village has over 100 acres under it, but over the years, due to silt accumulation, it had almost become defunct, holding very little water. Once a sprawling tank catering to the needs of the farmers, it turned out as a mere puddle during rainy season.

The long dry spells and accumulation of silt rendered it useless.

Another villager, Moluguri Srihari pointed out that though the ayacut under the tank remains the same, the ongoing restoration of tank work taken up under the NREG would definitely help store more water next season. Over 100 people are engaged in work earning an average wage of Rs. 70 per day.

Enthusiasm all over

Similarly, there are some engaged in the desilting work of Komatigudem village tank in the mandal. The tank, on 18 acre land, shrunk over the years which once irrigated about 120 acres in the village. Boini Ramulu, who is one among the labour on the site said they did not witness such good work in the village in the past.

"This is helping us earn our bread and benefit us in other ways. There were times when the cattle suffered due to water scarcity three four years ago. Now, I think such a situation will not come again as this will help store more water," he said.

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