Polavaram, poll plank

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, March 26, 2014:  Polvaram multi purpose project still remains a sticky issue even after state bifurcation. Leaders of both states are using it as poll plant and have already started trading heated exchanges.

TRS chief, K Chandrasekhar Rao, who insists, on changing the design, is likely to rake up the issue during his poll campaign to gain an edge over the two national parties Congress and BJP in Telangana.

In fact, leaders of political parties are all busy wooing voters in assembly and lksaabha constituencies by pledging construction of the multi purpose project without any problems from across the border. 

During the Congress leaders Bus Yatra, here in Vizag, both APPCC chief, N Raghuveera Reddy and party campaign committee, chairman, K Chiranjeevi said that nobody can stop the project from materializing and state bifurcation actually would help in completion of the project as it would be fully funded by the Centre.

 He was also furious about KCR’s remarks objecting construction of Polavaram. After apprehensions were raised by BJP national leaders like Arun Jaitely, M Venkaiah Naidu that the Telangana state government, after the state bifurcation, may create hurdles to the completion of the multi crore project, Centre decided to include 7 mandals coming under Bhdharchalam division excluding the temple town, to Andhra Pradesh.

The multi purpose project can provide irrigation water to 7.2 lakh acres in upland areas of coastal Andhra.

Polavaram project is already mired in controversies with governments of Odisha, Chattisgrah and Maharashtra approaching appropriate legal entities to stall the project showing many reasons.

The project is also vital to provide water to Rayalaseema through inter-basin transfer of 45 TMC, to generate 960 MW hydropower, to stabilize and secure the present Godavari and Krishna delta systems, considered the rice bowl of the nation, besides controlling the periodic flood devastation in coastal areas. 

As per the estimates of irrigation experts and the state government Polavaram project submerges 276 villages with an average population  of   642 per village. Of the 276 villages 204 are in the present Khammam district of Telangana.  Out of these 204 villages 121 are in Bhadrachalam Revenue Division and the remaining in Palvancha division.  Bhadhrachalam revenue division was part of East Godavari district in Seemandhra region until 1959.

“Polavaram designs were done by experts in the irrigation field and there is no need to make changes to it. Those opposing inclusion of 7 mandals in Andhra Pradesh should first check their facts. These villages were under East Godavari district before Andhra Pradesh was formed. Nobody can stop the project. We will ensure it is constructed at any cost. It was due to BJP’s fight that, these mandals were included in Andhra Pradesh and the project was renamed as multi purpose project. Otherwise, earlier in the draft AP reorganissation Bill it was mentioned as any normal irrigation project,” said newly appointed, BJP Andhra Pradesh unit, chief, Kambhampati Haribabu.