POLAVARAM PROJECT CONTROVERSY : "HIGH-LEVEL MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER MODI"

In light of the objections Chhattisgarh and other states raised regarding the controversial Polavaram project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold a crucial high-level meeting on May 28. The Chief Ministers of four states, including Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, will be present at this meeting.

This will be the first time that the Prime Minister will meet with the Chief Ministers of all four states involved in the project. The meeting will include the Chief Ministers, their respective water resources ministers, and senior officials. Additionally, top officials from the Central Ministry of Water Power, the Central Water Commission, and the Polavaram Project Authority will also participate.

The agenda for the meeting focuses on finding a comprehensive solution to the escalating interstate tensions surrounding issues such as land submergence, tribal displacement, and rehabilitation. Prime Minister Modi's direct intervention could prove decisive in breaking this deadlock.

Officials from the Water Resources Department are optimistic that the Prime Minister's initiative will help resolve interdepartmental differences and expedite the progress of the project, which has faced repeated interruptions. The Polavaram project was designated as a national project during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. However, its construction is affecting the bordering tribal populations of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana.

Chhattisgarh's Objections

Chhattisgarh has raised concerns that the project will lead to submergence in several villages, resulting in the displacement of tribal families. This issue is not only a concern for Chhattisgarh but also for Odisha, which has filed petitions in the Supreme Court regarding this matter.

During the previous tenure of Dr. Raman Singh's government, a non-official resolution was passed in the Chhattisgarh Assembly regarding the Polavaram dam. MLA Amit Jogi requested that the height of the Polavaram dam, being constructed under the inter-state Indira Sagar project on the Godavari River, be maintained at 150 feet.

Overview of the Polavaram Irrigation Project

The Polavaram project is a multi-purpose major terminal reservoir project on the Godavari River, aimed at developing irrigation, hydropower, and drinking water facilities in the eastern Godavari, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Located near the village of Ramayyapeta in the Polavaram Mandal, the project is situated approximately 34 km upstream from the Kovvur-Rajahmundry road and rail bridge, and 42 km upstream from the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, where the river exits the Eastern Ghats and enters the plains of the West Godavari district.

The objective of this multi-purpose major irrigation project is to develop a gross irrigation capacity of 436,825 hectares. The project includes the generation of 960 megawatts of hydropower, the supply of drinking water to a population of 2.85 million across 611 villages, and the inclusion of 80 TMC of water into the Krishna River basin.

This ambitious project holds the potential to significantly enhance agricultural productivity and improve the quality of life for millions, making it a focal point of regional development.