Polavaram project nears completion; Bhadradri locals gear up for showdown

Vijayawada: The people of Bhadrachalam division are turning nostalgic as the Polavaram multi-irrigation project nears completion.

Almost like they are racing against time, local residents, organizations and political parties in Bhadrachalam are putting in the best of their efforts to have their problems solved before the project’s completion.

Bhadrachalam MLA Podem Veeraiah is embarking on agitation to get back five villages from Andhra Pradesh, including Yatapaka, Pichukalapadu, Kannaigudem, Purushothapatnam and Gundala that surround Bhadrachalam and the 10km road from Bhadrachalam to Dummugdem.

“The geographical area of Bhadrachalam is imbalanced in the AP Reorganization Act and there is no area for a dump yard in Bhadrachalam.

“Lord Ramachandraswamy is in Bhadrachalam and has 1000 acres in Purushothapatnam and Gundala. But there is no road in Telangana to reach Dummugudem and Charla mandals in Bhadrachalam constituency. We are so tensed up after being told that Polavaram is nearing completion”, he said.

He said that a political committee comprising members from different parties has been formed to tackle the issue and they will stage a dharna in Delhi.

Adivasis are losing tremendously and the government is unable to set up tribal residential schools, ekalavya schools and tribal welfare hostels in Bhadrachalam due to lack of land, he said and added that the Union and state governments should resolve these issues on a priority basis.

Bhadrachalam will become water-locked because of Polavaram project waters, he explained.

Bhadradri Prantha Parirakshana Committee convenor B Sankar Reddy said “We, as residents of Bhadrachalam, will be in another state if we came out of Bhadrachalam. It is an inconvenience to us. Further, many issues with regard to villages that have been submerged by Polavaram project remain unaddressed ''.

The AP government has stated that the project would be completed by next September. The backwaters of the project will be stranded around Bhadrachalam as Godavari River will be in a ‘U’ curve at the holy town.

B Ramesh, a local businessman, said “We fear that some parts of Bhadrachalam will be submerged if the Polavaram project touches its full reservoir level. Nobody is giving a correct picture about it”, he said.