Polavaram dam: 1.6 lakh people, mostly Adivasis, to be displaced

TNN | Aug 10, 2014, 01.10AM IST
Instead of celebration, it was poignant anxiety and outbursts of anger that tribal activists and Telangana leaders expressed on the eve of the United Nations International Day of the World's Indigenous People (World Tribal Day), observed every year on August 9 to promote and protect their rights. The reason: The likely displacement of an estimated 1.6 lakh people, mostly Adivasis, due to the Polavaram dam in Khammam district.

For Khammam-based P Buchaiah, state general secretary of Adivasi Naikpod Sangam, one of the groups likely to be affected by the Polavaram dam, celebrating the World Tribal Day is the last thing on his mind. "Our people are worried about the impending dark future. Out of the soon-to-be-oustees in seven mandals of Khammam, only 30% have pattas while the rest have lands assigned by the government in the past. There is now talk that those owning assigned lands would not get compensation but would be given non-forest land in plain areas," he said.

Incidentally, displacement was the predominant issue that scores of speakers, tribal intellectuals and political leaders from Telangana raised at separate events hosted in the city to mark the occasion on Saturday. "Polavaram dam is a conspiracy to uproot more than one lakh tribals from 300-400 hamlets in Telangana. It is ironic that this would happen to the Adivasis, who are nature lovers and can't live without forests," observed Telangana assembly speaker S Madhusudhana Chary at an event organized by Banjara Bheri at Ravindra Bharati.

Displacement was also the moot point at Indira Park, where more than a thousand tribals, representing Kondareddis, Koyas, Naikpods (from Telangana), Mundas and Marias (Odisha) and a few others from Chhattisgarh under the aegis of People Against Polavaram (PAP), gathered for a day-long protest. In attendance was Odisha's Malkangiri MLA Manas Madkami along with colourfully dressed tribals.

"Polavaram is anti-tribals as they are the majority likely to be affected in Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh states," said Sunnam Venkataramana, who is now spearheading the movement by coordinating with other tribal groups through PAP. "The Centre is going against the Forest Rights Act, national tribal policy and Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 safeguard meant for tribals," added Botany professor-turned-Mahbubabad MP A Sitaram Naik.