Recently, a group of social activists visited the Telangana region to probe police atrocities against the Naxalites. What they were shown by the extremists as their concern for poor villagers was amazing: check dams, boulder-filled dams and water harvesting structures.

That the Naxalites are getting involved in water conservation is apparent: no water harvesting structure has been blasted by the Naxalites. In contrast, around 18 forest office buildings in the Nizamabad district have been blasted by the Naxalites. In many cases, forest officials have been either attacked or have been abducted to work for forest regeneration.

Says a villager from Adilabad district: "On many occasions, the extremists have given us loans to build small dams." Forest officials from Adilabad and Nizamabad districts say that the Naxalites often build water harvesting structures with the villagers' participation to strengthen their grip over the people.