More than 35 families residing in Kanneri Mandhanai in the Nilgiris, the proposed site for the construction of a dam, fear displacement even before being given alternative houses or compensation. The village where the Sillahala Dam is to come up at Rs.7,000 crore by 2022 is at Sree Ram Nagar in Kanneri Mandhanai. It comprises mostly Dalit families who are into agriculture. The recent works taken up by Tangedco has led to a fear among the residents that the construction will begin soon and force them out of their homes and farms. P. Rani, a resident of the village, said they had not been informed whether the village lay in an area that would be flooded after the dam was built. She also said that many of the residents had small farms in the area where the dam would come up. “Tangedco should let us know of their construction plans. We have no idea if we need to start looking for new houses and whether we will be compensated in case we are expected to move,” she said. K Nagarajan, a farmer cultivating carrot, beetroot, potatoes and beans on a seven-acre plot that is expected to get flooded, said the locals wanted compensation at the rates outlined by the recent Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, and demanded that a committee to estimate the current market value of the land be set up in consultation with the locals. “We don't have a problem with the dam coming up as it could potentially help thousands of people. But there should be more of a dialogue between us and Tangedco,” he said. Compensation package When contacted, Tangedco officials in the Nilgiris said the construction of the dam was being undertaken by the projects wing of the organisation, from its headquarters in Chennai. The officials said that resettlement and compensation packages would be handled by the office in Chennai, and that the Nilgiris division of Tangedco would only take over the dam's operation after its completion.