Godavari Gatha

Is the Rs.13,500 crore Indirasagar dam another Narmada in the making ? Despite protests the project is on about 2 lakh villagers in Polavaram, Devipatnam and seven mandals in Khammam, it was like a death knell. The 151-feet dam will submerge 276 villages, destroy 3,223 hectare of reserve forests and uproot the entire Koya and Kondareddy tribal communities. all the submerged, villages are scheduled areas where tribals live. Khammam, where 209 villages will be submerged is the worst hit. Then, 13 villages in Chhattisgarh and 10 in Orissa will be flooded. The dam's reservoirs would inundate virgin forests inhabited by tigers, leopards, sambar, neelgai, wild boars and sloth bear. It would also submerge part of the Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuary. Madhavi Tata, Outlook India magazine, Nov 21, 2005

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