AP to Go Ahead with Polavaram Project.

Despite strong opposition from Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the Andhra Pradesh Government recently announced that it will go ahead with implementation of the ambitious Indirasagar-Polavaram multipurpose irrigation project.

This was announced by Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan in his address to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on the first day of the budget session.

Narasimhan said though allocation of a meagre Rs. 100 crore for the multi-purpose dam, declared as a national project, has put the plans in disarray, the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) will take care of getting all the clearances. 'Not discouraged by the minimal allocation in the Central budget, we will make all out efforts to complete this dream project by March 2018,' he said.

Criticising the unilateral announcement, the BJD said that it will continue its opposition to the project. 'The BJD will continue its protest,' party spokesman Samir Das said.

Four cases filed by the State Government against the project is pending in Supreme Court. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had demanded that the project should be scrapped. A BJD delegation had also submitted a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee demanding a relook into the project during his visit to the State in July, 2014.

Conceived in the 1940s, the irrigation project is likely to irrigate over seven lakh acres in Andhra Pradesh and produce 960 MW of hydel energy. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 20,000 crore.

However, Odisha, Telangana and Chhattisgarh have raised serious objection to the project. Odisha Government is opposed to the project on the ground that if the project is commissioned, it would require massive displacement of tribals and cause irreparable damage to as many as 25 villages in Malkangiri district due to inundation.


THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS