Karimnagar: Residents of Bathukamma, Hasnapur, Peddamma, and Saptagiri colonies near the Lower Manair Dam (LMD) Reservoir in Karimnagar district are in distress after receiving eviction notices under the Dam Safety Act of 2021. The Act prohibits any construction within 200 metres of the dam wall and prescribes imprisonment or fines for non-compliance.The notices affect 120 families who were displaced 40 years ago during the dam’s construction and later allotted 60-yard plots by the government 20 years ago. Now, once again, they face the prospect of losing their homes. Concern has also been raised for nearby government projects, such as the DIET “Centre of Excellence,” an IT Tower, the RTO office, Kendriya Vidyalaya, the Sports School, and other offices, all located within the prohibited zone. The LMD, inaugurated in 1978 and operational for drinking and irrigation since 1985, supplies water to nine lakh acres across seven districts. When the Dam Safety Act came into force on December 21, 2021, similar notices were issued three years ago, but no action followed under the previous administration. Angry and anxious residents have condemned the notices. Mallamma, who sold land and jewelry to build her home, asked, “Do they want us to live on the streets?” Gnaneshwar, who purchased his plot in 1990 and holds all necessary documents, including water and electricity connections, questioned why the 200-metre rule was never communicated earlier. They have petitioned the irrigation department, arguing that their homes lie at the dam’s far end, have never flooded, and warning that demolition attempts will spur intensified agitation. Former mayor and BJP leader Yadagiri Sunil Rao visited the colonies to lend support, accusing LMD authorities of overreach and noting that their legal jurisdiction extends only 30 metres from the dam. He challenged why government buildings within an 11-km radius were spared. After raising the issue with Union minister of state for home affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who has pledged to discuss it with the district collector, Sunil Rao urged officials to withdraw the notices or face massive protests.
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