The NIMZ was proposed near Zaheerabad on about 12,600 acres during the tenure of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre in its second term. That was the same time the division of Andhra Pradesh took place in 2014.
Soon after division of the State, in 2015, the Telangana government has started land acquisition at Zaheerabad for 12,600 acres. About 3,500 acres of land was already acquired and later the State government did not focus on land acquisition. The land was already handed over to Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation by the district authorities.
Meanwhile, with the news spreading that NIMZ was coming up at this area, land rates skyrocketed and farmers openly expressed unwillingness to part with their lands for the compensation being offered by the government.
While the open market value of lands was between ₹15 lakh and ₹50 lakh, on the roadside, depending on the location, the government has been offering about ₹6 lakh or so per acre. The farmers, time and again, made it clear to officials that they were not ready to sell their lands to the government for NIMZ as they would lose their livelihoods.
On January 20, the mandatory public hearing for environment clearance was held at Bardipur near Zaheerabad with police protection. At the time, some protesters were forcibly taken away from the venue by police. Though officials made it clear again and again that the meeting was aimed at discussing environment-related issues with the establishment of NIMZ, majority farmers raised the issue of compensation being paid by the government and market price of lands.
Several farmers were not allowed to attend the public hearing and stopped at their villages. Some farmers walked several kilometres to attend the public hearing but were not allowed inside.
"We will lose our lands and livelihood if we sell our lands. We are not ready. Do not establish NIMZ in our area. The only option left with us will be committing suicide," argued a woman farmer from a tanda during public hearing.
Bhukya, another farmer from a tanda, demanded that the government implement Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act- 2013 (LA ACT- 2013) if the government needed land from farmers.
