Polavaram irrigation project (Photo: DC archives)
New Delhi: Seeking to put a break in the Polavaram project, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday pitched for a consensus to be evolved among Chief Ministers of all states concerned before going ahead with implementing the irrigation project that is set to get national status. Mr Rao made the demand for convening of a conference of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh on the Polavaram project to discuss alternate ways to implement the project which is expected to displace over 20 lakh tribals in all the four states during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
“Contrary to reports, I did raise the issue of Polavaram with the Prime Minister yesterday and told him that he was given wrong information about the project. I made it clear to him that the state of Telangana has no problem in Andhra Pradesh getting water. There can be alternate method to implement this project,” he said. “Why should the areas be submerged? More than 20 lakh tribals from all these four states would be affected. The project should move ahead after a consensus is evolved. Things should not be done in haste,” he said.
