A Varam to politician-contractor nexus

Justice Bachawat Tribunal passed Godavari Award and made Inter-State Agreement on 2-4-1980 on Polavaram Project [hereafter referred as PvP]. At a recent PvP function, both state & central leaders asked why nothing happened after Chief Minister T Anjayya laid the foundation stone for the PvP in 1981. Unfortunately, with frequent changes in CMs, the state was under unstable rule during 1981-94. TDP-BJP ruled the state-centre for 10 years [1994-2004].

For whose benefit?

• Polavaram project estimate in 2005 was Rs 10,271 cr
• 150 ft dam was to handle 38.2 lakh cusecs extreme flood water
• CWC suggested change in project design to meet 50 lakh cusecs
• Revised estimate in 2011 was Rs 16,000 crore, cleared by Centre
• Dam contract bagged by a Congress MP who later joined the TDP
• Works slowed down, Pattiseema lift irrigation was initiated
• A few thousand crores were spent on Pattiseema and Pushkaralu.
• This amount would have completed the building of the dam
• Water would have been released into right canal built.
• Through gravity, Godavari water would have reached Krishna
• There would have been no costs on electricity this way
• On 11th Oct 2015, AP Cabinet raised cost to around Rs 32000 cr
• Project was transferred to AP government for execution
• Cost of project again raised to more than Rs 40,000 crore.
• There is a doubt whether this rise was envisaged in original plan.
• Centre not cleared project revised estimates.
• It will provide the agreed Rs 16,000 crore only
• It appears project cost may cross one lakh crores at the end!

Up to 1980, the central government gave importance to major irrigation projects as they considered the dams as modern temples of India. Water and electricity from Srisailam and N’sagar dams, with the efforts of Sanjiva Reddy and Bamhanada Reddy, made AP the ‘Rice Bowl of India.’ The BJP-TDP regime gave importance to the watershed programme that provided easy way to money swindling with lowest priority was accorded to irrigation projects, which was exposed by top journalists at a felicitation function to Journalist P Sainath.

In 2004, under Jalayagnam, PvP was initiated by Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy and got a majority of clearances from different Central government departments; and works were initiated in 2006 which include 1st phase of rehabilitation programme, right & left canals, the main dam, etc. Forest clearance [final] was given by MoEF on July 28, 2010. This was granted with a condition that AP would construct “embankments/karakattas” to avoid submergence & displacement in Odisha & Chhattisgarh, for which AP government allocated Rs 600 crore. This is in line with the Tribunal order – signed by MP & Odisha CMs – and as well CWC clearance in 2009. The PvP received AIBP assistance in March 2009.

The PvP was opposed by the groups which had hitherto been earning thousands of crores illegally through smuggling, illegal mining, ganja cultivation, smuggling under the disguise of tourism, etc. In addition, NGO-political-nexus by hobnobbing with MoEF & Odsiha-Chhattisgarh governments created hurdles after hurdles; namely: (1) AP government conducted public hearings at 5 locations as per EIA Notification, 1994, and got EC from MoEF on October 25, 2005, but raised the boggy of public hearings in Odisha and Chhattisgarh states under “EIA Notification 2006”, which was published in Gazette in September 2006, with retrospective effect.

High Court negated NGT stay order on this; (2) the nexus approached the court, this time Supreme Court, stating that AP government violated the tribunal order on the dam height. Court-appointed committee reported back saying that everything is in order; (3) barrages were suggested in place of dam, which was rejected by the CWC; (4) MoEF gives a series of “stop and lift” orders, an unethical act; (5) After the bifurcation of the state, the Parliament passed the AP Reorganization [Amendment] Bill on 14th July 2014, wherein bill provides for the transfer of seven Mandals in the newly formed Telangana state back to the original residuary state of AP, for which ordinance was issued promulgated by the President [after NDA government formed].

The cost estimate of PvP in 2005 was Rs 10,271 crore with 150 ft dam height and 38.2 lakh cusecs of extreme flood water. Planning Commission gave clearance in February 2009. Due to lack of funds under 11th Plan for granting National Status, CWC suggested change in the project design to meet 50 lakh cusecs in place of 38.2 lakh cusecs. The revised estimate for 50 lakh cusecs with same 150 ft dam height in 2011 was Rs. 16,000 crore, which was also cleared by the central government.

PvP dam construction contract was awarded to a Congress MP after prolonged court battles; and later builder joined TDP and slowed down the construction activities and initiated Pattiseema lift irrigation. A few thousand crores were spent on Pattiseema and Pushkaralu. This amount would have helped completing the building of PvP-dam, thus releasing water into right canal built during (late) Dr YSR time. Through gravity, the Godavari water would have reached Krishna River (inter-linking of rivers) with no costs on electricity by this time.

On 11th October 2015, AP Cabinet decided to raise the cost to around Rs 32, 000 crore though the project is supposed to be built by the central government and for which a Committee was also constituted by the Center. As a political game, the project was transferred to the AP government and with that again the cost of the project was raised to more than Rs 40,000 crore. There is a doubt whether this rise for all activities was envisaged in the original plan. It appears that it may cross one lakh crores at the end! However, these estimates were not cleared by the Central government, which it stated that it would provide funds as per the clearance of Rs 16,000 crore only, even though it granted national status to the project.

From the cost escalation estimates created by TDP government in the last two-and-a-half years with BJP/NDA government acting as a silent spectator and without allocating funds for the speedy completion of the project, it clearly shows that Polavaram is not a ‘Varam’ to the people of AP but a ‘Varam’ to contractor-politician Nexus of TDP/BJP. Unfortunately, people have no knowledge on such intricacies but believe in gimmicks of ruling party politicians.

By Dr S Jeevananda Reddy