BJD urges Central Water Commission to stop Polavaram project till remedial measures are taken
BJD sent a ‘fact-finding’ team to Malkangiri district in August to assess the impact of the Polavaram project
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday asked the Central Water Commission (CWC) not to allow its construction till steps are taken to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of tribals in Odisha’s Malkangiri district who would be displaced due to the Polavaram irrigation project.
In a statement, the BJD said the project was conceived under the resolution of the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT), which outlined agreements between Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh. It complained that the project authorities had, however, increased the flood discharge (capacity) from 36 lakh cusecs to 50 lakh cusecs, without sufficient consideration of the backwater impact in the upstream states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
The statement comes a day after a BJD delegation in Delhi reached out to top government functionaries including jal shakti minister CR Paatil, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes chairperson Antar Singh Arya and Union environment secretary Leena Nandan to express their concern about the impact the project would have on Odisha.
BJD’s outreach in Delhi comes after party chief Naveen Patnaik sent a ‘fact-finding’ team headed by former minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak to Malkangiri district’s Motu and Padia tehsils in August this year to assess the impact of the project.
In a statement issued in Bhubaneswar, the party said the revised flood discharge capacity could lead to submergence levels of up to 216 feet in Odisha, far exceeding the previously agreed maximum of 174.22 feet.
“Our delegation found the local communities were deeply concerned about the potential backwater inundating large parts of Malkangiri. We also visited the Polavaram project site in Andhra Pradesh to assess the situation, but the queries regarding the project’s potential impact were left unanswered by the Polavaram Project Authority,” a BJD leader said.
The party asked CWC to conduct a fresh backwater study for the revised flood discharge capacity of 50 lakh cusecs.
“Resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) plans should be revised, ensuring proper consultation with the Odisha government and focusing on vulnerable tribal populations. The submergence levels should be reassessed and the Polavaram project design be adjusted accordingly to prevent adverse effects on Odisha. The spillway discharge capacity and reservoir operation schedules, especially in relation to flood impact need to be clarified. The CWC should confirm whether backwater calculations for the upstream rivers in Odisha have been completed and whether the project’s reservoir can be filled before finalizing the rehabilitation and resettlement process,” said BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra.
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