Polavaram: Andhra Pradesh Says No Objection to Joint Survey on Impact of Backwaters

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has no objection if a fresh joint survey is held on six streams joining the Godavari river in Telangana, to ascertain the impact of backwaters of Polavaram project.

The joint survey is proposed to be done by the Polavaram Project Authority under the supervision of the Central Water Commission.

The PPA that met in Hyderabad on Friday saw the presence of senior officials mainly from the water resources department of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

As for a joint survey on the backwaters of Polavaram project, both AP and Telangana held it on Kinnerasani and Murredu steams at the direction of PPA and under the supervision of CWC following a direction from the National Green Tribunal. There are six more streams in Telangana for a joint survey if PPA intends to do so.

Moreover, as the Polavaram project’s main dam is being erected at a height of 41.15 metres in phase-1, the issue of impact of backwaters in parts of Telangana may not arise until the dam height is taken up at 45.72 metres in the final phase.

Moreover, the AP government noted that the Polavaram project is a central project and is being executed by the central agency PPA under the supervision of CWC. As such, it would not be having any issue if the PPA gets ready to take up joint survey involving both AP and TG on impact of backwaters of Polavaram project.

Questions: AP was asked about the current status of the Polavaram project and the progress of works of various components like the diaphragm wall, Gap-1, Gap-II, earth-cum-rock-fill dam, land acquisition and implementation of resettlement and rehabilitation of the project affected families. It was also asked about mobilisation of funds for the project and how much money was spent so far.

Another question was about the pending signing of MoU between the AP government and the PPP with regard to execution of Polavaram project until its completion and also mobilisation of funds for execution of the project.

The AP authorities say that once the state government agrees, the MoU can be signed.

AP water resources department engineer-in-chief K Narasimha Murthy said, “We have informed the PPA that AP has no objection for a joint survey on some streams in Telangana to study impact of backwaters of Polavaram project. We have given details of the current status of works.”

From AP, Narasimha Murthy and Polavaram R and R commissioner P. Prasanthi attended the meeting while PPA chief executive officer Atul Jain was in the chair.