Andhranews

Another major hurdle in the way of construction of the Rs 14,000 crore Polavaram multi-purpose major irrigation project has been cleared with the decision of Union ministry of water resources to take up a joint survey by representatives of three Godavari riparian States and the Central Water Commission on the areas likely to be submerged under the project in neighbouring States of Chhattisgarh and Orissa.

A quick resolution of the submergence issue will pave the way for CWC clearance for the Polavaram project from an inter-State angle. Though Union minister Saifuddin Soz convened the meeting of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa, only Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy attended while his counterparts from other States stayed away.

Yet, AP was able to put forth its case forcefully with Dr Reddy’s reiteration that since his government was prepared to accept the responsibility for compensation for submergence of lands or construction of bunds to mitigate the impact of floods in other States, as per Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award, it should not become a pre-condition for a CWC clearance. Polavaram project seeks to provide irrigation to 7.2 lakh acres in AP through left and right main canals and two lakh acres through lift irrigation, stabilise existing Godavari delta of 10.50 lakh acres, facilitate diversion of 80 tmc ft of Godavari waters to Krishna river, generate 960 megawatts of hydel power and provide 23.44 tmc ft of drinking water to Vizag city and 540 villages enroute.

The project will submerge 94,319 acres in AP and only 3,796 acres in Chhattisgarh and 2,919 acres in Orissa and displace 1,75,275 persons in AP, 11,766 in Chhattisgarh and 6,316 in Orissa. AP had entered into agreements with other riparian States during 1978-80 whereby they gave their nod for Polavaram dam with a height of 150 feet.

Godavari Tribunal made the agreement among AP, MP (now Chhattisgarh) and Orissa a part of its final award. However, both Chhattisgarh and Orissa have chosen to reopen the issue and put spokes now, while Maharashtra and Karnataka have preferred to keep quiet. AP can only hope that the CWC sorts out the inter-State issues and accords its final clearance to Polavaram without delay.