Will Polavaram wipe out Bhadradri?

Bhadrachalam: With the Centre and Andhra Pradesh government taking up the Polavaram project’s execution as a matter of prestige, does the project poses threat to the temple town of Bhadrachalam stands as a million dollar question.

Meanwhile, the project spillway works are underway since December 10 and two lakh cubic meters of sand has been dug so far.

Recently, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu on record stated that the project would be ready by 2018 at any cost.

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Highlights:

• Project spillway works have been underway since Dec 10 and 2 lakh cubic meters of sand has been dug so far
• If AP goes ahead with existing design, Bhadrachalam, Manuguru, Dummugudem and Eturunagaram will face the threat of submergence
• Leaders from several political parties seek redesigning of the project

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Moreover, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) had sanctioned Rs 2,900 crore for the project to speed up the works.

If the project were to be built as per the existing design, Bhadrachalam, Manu- guru, Dummugudem and Eturunagaram would face threat from project’s backwaters.

It is opined that the threat to Bhadrachalam would be worse than any other region. As a result, people are worried about the perceived threat to the temple town and expressing doubts whether the flood banks are strong enough to protect the town in case the Godavari River touches the danger mark of 52 feet.

The flood banks were built up to a height of 80 feet when the flood level in Godavari touched 75.6 feet in 1986.

If the government version on project height (150 feet) were to be believed, the water level in Godavari will not recede below the first danger mark of 43 feet once the project is executed. The Government of Telangana is not taking any remedial measures to offset the problem.

Speaking to The Hans India, former MP of CPM Dr Midiam Babu Rao demanded an immediate halt to the project works.

“How can the Andhra Pradesh government go ahead with the project without submitting a detailed project report to the Government of Telangana,” he questioned.

He felt that the project’s height would exceed the proposed height of 150 feet to 186 feet posing threat to the temple town.

The relief and rehabilitation package to 12 villages displaced by the project has not been implemented even 12 years after identifying the villages as the project-displaced villages.

The package has not been implemented for 400 other villages that are facing the threat of submergence. He expressed concern over development taking a back seat in eight mandals merged with Andhra Pradesh and demanded the AP government stop executing the project works.

Gondwana Sankshema Parishad regional convener Sonde Veeraiah questioned the rationale of going ahead with the Polavaram project despite perceiving threat to the temple town. He advised the Government of AP to execute the project on the lines of the Pattiseema project.

Congress deputy leader in the legislative council Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy said the people’s representatives in the Legislative Council as well as the Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution seeking redesign of the project to avoid the threat of inundation.

The Telangana State government has lodged a petition with the green tribunal, but failed to mount pressure on the Centre, he said.

Ponguleti made it clear that the Congress was not averse to the Polavaram project and maintained that the project should be redesigned reducing its height.