Residents of Baswapur village in Nalgonda district in Telangana, along with Pradesh Congress Committee Treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy, staged a day-long protest on December 28, 2018, in front of the Yadadari Bhongir District Collectorate demanding compensation for their land that was acquired by the state government for the construction of the Baswapur reservoir.The reservoir has a capacity of 11.39 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft). It is estimated to submerge more than 3,400 acres of land, of which 1,600 acres belong to farmers.The reservoir was proposed in 2016 as part of the Kaleshwaram project, formerly known as the B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi project. The capacity of the plant under the Pranahita-Chevella project was proposed at 0.8 tmcft. In August 2016, its capacity under the kaleshwaram project was increased first to 8 tmcft, then to 10 tmcft and finally to 14 tmcft. However, fearing strong retaliation by farmers, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao told officials to reduce the capacity of the dam to 11.39 tmcft to prevent flooding of the villages. The farmers also feared that increasing the storage capacity of the reservoir will lead to the acquisition of more land, resulting in displacement.In March 2017, the farmers demanded that the reservoir's capacity be reduced to below 10 tmcft. When the government did not pay heed to their demands, they decided to protest demanding compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. Political leaders have now politicised the issue in the face of the Lok Sabha election. While the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has accused the Congress of being a "hurdle" to development work in the state, the latter has termed the TRS "anti-farmers".
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for promised compensation
Government Bodies Involved in the Conflict:
Government of Telangana
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Other Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Congress Party
Legislations Involved in the Conflict:
Land Acquisition Laws
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Legal Status:
In Court
Name(s) of Court(s)
High Court of Telangana
Case Number
Nature of Protest
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Has the Conflict Ended?
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?