Centre bringing pressure on AP to reduce Polavaram project water level

Senior Congress leader and former MP K V P Ramachandra Rao on Tuesday expressed apprehension over the possibility of reducing the full reservoir level (FRL) of Polavaram major irrigation project being built on Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh from 150 feet to 140 feet in order to reduce the project cost substantially

Senior Congress leader and former MP K V P Ramachandra Rao on Tuesday expressed apprehension over the possibility of reducing the full reservoir level (FRL) of Polavaram major irrigation project being built on Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh from 150 feet to 140 feet in order to reduce the project cost substantially.

HT Image

In a letter to chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the former MP said he had reliable information that the Centre was bringing pressure on the state government to restrict the FRL of Polavaram, so as to avoid payment of compensation to the project evacuees in the submergence areas and bear the cost of their rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R).

“According to the information, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, basing on a report of technical committee, has decided to restrict the Polavaram project’s FRL to 140 ft (41.15 meters) instead of 150 ft (45.72 meters), as approved by the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT), only to avoid R&R expenditure,” he said.

Rao said the state government was not in a position to provide funds for land acquisition and R&R works costing around ₹30,000 crore if the FRL was maintained at 150 feet.

“The Central government, which is constitutionally obligated under Section 90 of A P Reorganization Act, to provide entire funds for construction of the project including in all aspects, including land acquisition and R&R, is compelling the state government to restrict level of project to minimum draw-down level (MDDL) of 140 feet to avoid R&R expenditure,” Rao alleged.

He asked the chief minister not to succumb to any pressure from the Centre and agree for restriction of FRL to 140 feet, as it would defeat the very purpose of the mighty Polavaram project. “If the level is reduced, it will not be able to create the intended irrigation to 10.77 lakh acres, provide drinking water for 611 villages, divert 80 tmc of water to Krishna Basin, supply 23.44 tmc of water for industrial use and generate 960 MW power,” he said.

In a separate letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rao said Polavaram project, which was declared as a national project, had become an orphan due to the negligence of the central government. “The Centre’s stepmotherly treatment and failure in allocating sufficient funds is causing inordinate delay in completion of this project, which can bring into utilization of more than 300 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) of water going waste into the sea,” he said.

He requested the Prime Minister to see that the project works were expedited with 100% central funds, without causing any burden on the state exchequer.