Farmers oppose land acquisition for Metro

Vijayawada: The proposed Metro Rail project for Vijayawada is set for a big trouble if it fails to change its alignment in the second corridor, particularly for its proposed depot.

The farmers of the area are up in arms against the government for the move and are determined to thwart the Metro’s move to locate its depot at Nidamanuru village in the existing residential area.

The Metro had proposed to set up its depot in the 64 acres to be acquired from the farmers, both agriculture and residential. However, the farmers are strongly opposing the move and are requesting both the Metro Rail Corporation and the State government to move depot location to the railway station or the industrial area in Nidamanuru where the government land is also available.

The Metro had proposed two corridors for the city both starting from the Pundit Nehru Bus station. The first corridor is planned from Bus Station to Penamaluru on MG Road covering 12.76 km, while the second corridor is planned from Bus Station to Nidamanuru on Eluru road covering 13.27 km.

The Metro had also proposed the depot at Nidamanur for which the government had to acquire lands from the farmers. The Metro after the initial survey proposed to acquire 31.039 hectares for the two corridors, of which 29.444 hectare from the private persons and 1.595 from the government. It had also proposed 11.34 hectare for the depot, which would come up totally on the private lands.

The depot is proposed on the 64 acres in the Revenue Survey Nos. of 122/6A, 6B, 110, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 148 and 149.

In addition to this, the Metro had proposed land acquisition for 13 stations in the second corridor between Bus Station and Nidamanur and 12 stations in the first corridor between Bus Station and Penamaluru. The Metro had already given proposals to the Krishna district administration on October 27, 2015 asking the district administration to hand over the land to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to begin the work.

The Metro had sent a letter to the State government on August first week based on which the government is getting ready to issue land acquisition notification. The government estimated that land acquisition and compensation to cost Rs 458.12 crore. The Metro had also requested the government to acquire the land at Nidamanuru for its depot building on a priority, basing on which it could start the project.

Opposing the move to locate the depot at Nidamanuru, local legislator Dr Vallabhaneni Vamsi requested the Metro to extend the project up to Gannavaram covering the airport so that the depot could be located in Gannavaram where the land price is comparatively low.

However, the farmers who have formed into a welfare association have come up with an alternative suggestion of taking over Nidamanuru railway station area for the depot. “This area has 70.12 acres government land belonging to the Endowments and Kondapalli Wakf lands.

In addition, there is another 43.42 acres available in the vicinity. This would be sufficient for the Metro to have its depot and it would not disturb our residential areas,” asserted chief advisor of Nidamanuru Farmers’ Welfare Association, Lingamaneni Sarveswara Rao.

Farmers have also urged the government to extend the project to the industrial area in Nidamanuru from the present residential area as that would minimise loss and inconvenience to the residents.

We have adopted a resolution requesting the Chief Minister to exclude the residential area from the Metro Rail project,” said the Nidamanuru village sarpanch, Damerla Koteswara Rao. The ruling TDP also adopted a resolution requesting the party president and Chief Minister to change the alignment exempting the residential area.