Beer, not paddy, matters for Congress government in Telangana

Farmers in Sangareddy protested the Telangana government’s priorities as water from Singur Dam was assured to beer companies during repair works, while irrigation to over 65,000 acres was halted. Farmers demand compensation or clarity as protests intensify

Sangareddy: Farmers and paddy can wait, but not beer. That appears to be the approach of the Congress government in Telangana when it comes to making alternative arrangements for water supply in connection with the repair works being taken up on Singur Dam here.

Even as farmers dependent on over 65,000 acres in the Singur ayacut for their livelihood have been protesting and demanding alternative arrangements for both drinking and irrigation water, the State has neither made any announcement nor made any effort to reach out to farmers hit by the crop holiday announced in connection with the Singur repair works.

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However, it revealed its priorities on Monday when Excise Secretary M Raghunandan Rao and Commissioner C Hari Kiran visited beverage company units, including that of United Breweries, in Sangareddy.

After examining the entire process of beer production and quality, the officials asked the managements to make all arrangements to prepare additional stock to meet the summer demand and, most importantly, promised that, in view of the Irrigation department’s repair works on Singur Dam, the government would supply Manjeera water to the beer units during summer.

This is when farmers have launched protests in Medak, demanding clarity on water supply or compensation of Rs.25,000 per acre, both of which are demands the government has chosen to ignore.

There are five beer companies, which produce multiple brands, around Sangareddy that utilise Manjeera water and supply beer across Telangana, apart from supplying to other parts of the country and abroad as well. Since Manjeera river water is considered to be the best, beverage companies have set up their units around the river.

While beer sales are pegged at 30 lakh to 40 lakh cases round the year in Telangana alone, the sales peak to 60 lakh cases during April and May, more so because temperatures shoot up and Indian Premier League cricket matches are on. An official from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board said there would be 8 TMCft of water available in Singur and they were ready to supply any amount of water to beer companies.

“There is no compromise on this part since there are clear directions from the government,” he said on condition of anonymity.

After the National Dam Safety Authority directed the Irrigation department to take up repair works on Singur Dam after finding damage to the revetment and earthen embankments, Singur irrigation officials decided to restrict storage to 8 TMCft, releasing the remaining water downstream.

They also declared that they would not be able to provide irrigation water to 40,000 acres of ayacut under the Singur canals in Sangareddy district and 25,000 acres of ayacut under the Ghanpur anicut in Medak district.