The agitation to save Kuntala – Telangana’s own Niagara, has gathered pace. Several organizations met at Kuntala yesterday and have vowed to protect this beautiful waterfall from destruction by Seemandhra lobby.
Raji Power Pvt Ltd, owned by a Seemandhra businessman, has been trying to set up a hydel power plant at Kuntala since last several years. The local tribals have been opposing this project tooth and nail.
In 2011 too, the power plant management attempted to start the project works, but couldn’t owing to stiff resistance from locals.
As the Telangana statehood process is progressing at breakneck speed, conspiracy to revive the hydel power project on Kuntala waterfall has started again.
Last week, the project management and government forest officials did an inspection of the project site.
The Kuntala Gram Panchayat has already conducted a Gram Sabha and rejected permission for this hydel power project. Locals say that this water fall and the surrounding forest offers them livelihood. They say that the proposed hydel power plant would severaly impact their livelihoods.
Telangana Praja Front Secretary Nalla Masa Krishna, Kuntala Bachao Samithi President Praveen Indoori and several activists visited Kuntala yesterday and vowed to stall the hydel power project and save Kuntala waterfalls.
They are planning to meet the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and give him a memorandum to stop the hyder power plant at Kuntala.