Farmers say no to greenfield project.

Raising their voices against the proposed Khammam-Devarapalli greenfield national highway project, scores of aggrieved farmers from various parts of the district staged a dharna here on Wednesday to press for the cancellation of the project alleging that it involves loss of over 2,000 acres of farm land in 10 mandals.

Expressing their reluctance to give up their farm land for the project, the farmers held a demonstration at Dharna Chowk here. They demanded that the existing 100-foot Khammam-Aswaraopet State highway be upgraded into a national highway to stave off irreparable damage to agricultural productivity. Farmers from several villages in Konijerla, Wyra, Chintakani, Thallada and some other mandals took part in the dharna under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee comprising farmers, and representatives of various farmers’ organisations. Addressing the dharna, the JAC leaders alleged that the greenfield project involves colossal loss of arable farm land endowed with abundant water sources for irrigation spread across ten mandals in the district.

They contended that the project would deal a severe blow to thousands of farmers by way of “snatching away” their livelihood and taking a heavy toll on agricultural productivity.

Some of the aggrieved farmers from Chintakani mandal asserted that they had already conveyed their objections to the officials concerned and opposed any move to “forcibly” acquire their land for the project.

Congress MLC P. Sudhakar Reddy, Telangana Rythu Sangham State leader B. Rambabu, CPI district secretary B. Hemantha Rao and others visited the dharna camp and extended their support to the farmers’ agitation.

THE HINDU