Compensate farmers for KLIP land: HC to Telangana

HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court has directed the state govt and the irrigation department to compensate farmers under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, if private patta land parcels are getting submerged due to the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project in Rajanna Sircilla district. Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy has issued the directions while hearing petitions filed by farmers from Malkapet village in Konaraopet mandal, alleging that their agricultural land and crops were being inundated due to water being diverted into the village tank (Pedda Cheruvu) through the right canal of package 9 of the Kaleshwaram project. Despite a representation submitted on May 9, 2025, requesting the authorities to halt the water flow and protect their livelihoods, there was no response, the farmers claimed.The govt counsel argued that the canal serves a larger public purpose, catering to an ayacut of over 25,000 acres across three mandals and claimed that the petitioners' land parcels fall under the full tank level (FTL) of the village tank area that traditionally get submerged during water storage and hence, the farmers cannot claim compensation.

However, the court observed that if the affected land parcels were Shikam (private) land and the names of the petitioners reflect in revenue records, authorities must follow due process under the Act and compensate the owners before utilising their land. The court also clarified that if the said land was Shikam Sarkari (govt), the authorities could continue canal works without such acquisition.