Date:27/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/27/stories/2005122704450600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Maoists wanted to blast Sileru dam

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: A disaster was averted to tribal villages around the Upper Sileru hydro-electric project in the wee hours of Sunday when the Maoists wanted to blast the dam but gave up the plan on the advice of Andhra Pradesh Genco engineers at the site.

The engineers had persuaded naxalites, "bent on blasting the dam," with the warning that if they did so, the sufferers would be the tribals whose habitations would be washed away, Genco Managing Director Ajay Jain said here on Monday, quoting them.

After the advice of engineers, they changed their mind and sought information as to how they could stop the generation permanently at the point. On being shown the remote-control apparatus of the project, they blasted the switchboard, control and relay panels.