BJD Urges Union Tribal Affairs Ministry to Review R&R Clearance for Polavaram Project
In a memorandum submitted to Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram in New Delhi, the BJD said the project, if pursued in its present form.
Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday pressed the Union ministry of tribal affairs (MoTA) to revisit the statutory rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) clearance earlier granted to the Polavaram multipurpose project in Andhra Pradesh, citing grave threats to the lives and livelihoods of thousands of tribal families in Odisha’s Malkangiri district.
In a memorandum submitted to Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram in New Delhi, the BJD said the project, if pursued in its present form, would trigger large-scale submergence, displacing vulnerable tribal communities and jeopardising their culture, economy, and very existence.
The move came a day after a BJD delegation, comprising Rajya Sabha members and senior leaders, met Union jal shakti minister C.R. Patil and Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman Atul Jain in New Delhi. The delegation voiced strong objections to what it called “arbitrary expansion” and “unregulated execution” of the Polavaram project without proper studies or safeguards for affected states.
The BJD reiterated its demand for a comprehensive backwater impact study to assess the implications on tribal populations not only in Odisha but also in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. It stressed that affected communities in Malkangiri must be consulted directly and their inputs incorporated into R&R plans, in line with constitutional protections and legal obligations safeguarding tribal rights.
Calling attention to persistent quality concerns surrounding Polavaram despite earlier reviews by foreign experts, the party urged MoTA to ensure Odisha is adequately compensated for any land or livelihood losses. It also demanded steps to minimise submergence so that displacement of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) could be avoided.
“The project’s impact on tribal communities such as the Koya, Santal, Banjara, Durua, Bhumia, Bonda, Gadaba, Didayi, Konda Dora, Paraja, Halwa, Kandha, Mata and Konda Reddy must be studied in detail. Their survival and cultural heritage are at stake,” the memorandum stated.
The party pointed out that the project’s original design allowed for a flood discharge of 36 lakh cusecs, with a backwater submergence level of 174 feet. This was later revised to 50 lakh cusecs, a change theBJD said had never been thoroughly studied for backwater effects in upstream states, particularly Odisha.
The delegation expressed concern that despite Supreme Court directives in 2022 asking the Centre and CWC to engage with all stakeholders and address technical, environmental and displacement issues, Odisha’s objections have been largely ignored. The sanction of `17,936 crore for the project’s completion without Odisha’s consent, it said, had only deepened fears of displacement and ecological damage.
Demanding that construction be halted until Odisha’s concerns are addressed, the BJD opposed the unauthorised Polavaram-Banakacherla link project. It insisted that a fresh survey and mapping of submergence zones in Odisha be undertaken, with rehabilitation and resettlement carried out in consultation with the State government.
