Bhubaneswar, May 19: While the Polavaram Mega-Irrigation Project that is under construction over the Godavari River by the Andhra Pradesh Government has been a bone of contention between Odisha and the neighboring state, PM Modi will draw its resolve soon.
PM Modi will chair a coordination meeting with the Chief Ministers of the riparian states scheduled on May 28 wherein he will adress the states' concern over the project.
It was informed by Revenue & Disaster Management Mininster Suresh Pujari on Monday.
Underlining the massive inundation anticipated after the completion of the Polavaram Project, Pujari said that the disagreement of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha government will be settled by the PM.
Pujari also said that the PM in an open discussion to be held virtually will directly interact with the Chief Ministers of the riparian states including Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh in presence of hydrology experts. Here, he will assess the backwater threats likely to be posed by the Polavaram Project from the CM’s and water experts.
Worth mentioning, governments of the riparian states anticipate that the project- designed to harness the Godavari water- would be causing severe submergence issues, affecting villages and farmlands in the bordering areas.
It’s why they have been repeatedly moving the Jal Shakti Ministry and the Central Water Commission to conduct a third-party study assessing potential risks. Some of the states are even fighting level battles moving the Supreme Court of India pleading for abeyance of the proposed dam. At the full reservoir level (FRL) of 45.72 meters, the Polavaram dam’s backwaters are projected to inundate vast tracts of land in the neighboring states.
In Telangana, approximately 100-150 villages, including parts of Bhadrachalam, are likely to be partially or fully affected. Critical infrastructure like the Manuguru Heavy Water Plant will also be impacted.
Similarly, Chhattisgarh is fearing that 10-20 tribal villages in Dantewada and Sukma areas will be flooded. It may result in displacement of 5,000-10,000 residents.
In Odisha, over 100 villages in Malkangiri could be submerged, affecting 50,000-60,000 tribal people. Agricultural lands, forests, and biodiversity across these states are also at risk, with estimates suggesting an overall area of 25,000-35,000 acres could be inundated.
The to be affected states protest the dam alleging that the Polavaram project is lacking in comprehensive backwater studies.
Public hearings mandated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change are yet pending.
Telangana has commissioned IIT-Hyderabad to study the impact for the state while Odisha and Chhattisgarh demand independent assessments, citing sheer violations of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award.
