BHADRACHALAM: A meeting organised by Polavaram Project Mumpu (submersion) Bhadradri Prantha Parirakshana Committee demanded that the Central government protect the area of submersion and pay compensation before the completion of Polavaram project.
The committee placed seven demands before the Central government in protecting the people of Bhadrachalam area. The meeting was chaired by Gandhi Patham district coordinator B Sankar Reddy. He said the people of the area were under fear as the Polavaram project was nearing completion.
“It is time to safeguard the interests of the people over the backwaters of the Polavaram project. The Central government should clear the doubts of people pertaining to the Polavaram project,” he said.
The committee asked the government to pay rehabilitation and reconstruction packages to the locals of Iravendi, Reddypalem, Nagineniprolu, Saarapaka and Mothe and some parts of Bhadrachalam. A bund should be built to protect the villages including Nagineniprolu, Reddypalem and Sarapaka from Godavari backwater, it demanded.
“The holy town used to witness floodwater though there was a bund in every monsoon. Digging of backwater canal is required to pump out flood water into the Godavari. The canal is a must to save the holy town. Flood water coming into the town through seepage and rain water are common things,” the committee said. The road going to Parnasala should be merged with Telangana and the Polavaram Project submersion area should be declared as Union Territory area. Bhadrachalam to Papi Hills in River Godavari should be declared as a national tourism spot. The Sarapaka-Pandurangapuram rail line should be extended to Vizag, it demanded.
