Polavaram project works completed up to 79.61%

 Vijayawada: The Polavaram irrigation project works have been completed to an extent of 79.61 per cent so far. The processes of land acquisition and resettlement and rehabilitation up to 45.72 metres have been completed by 22.20 per cent; and this was done by 69.71 per cent up to 41.15 metres.

“As for major components, all 48 radial gates are erected and coffer dam works completed while sand filling and vibro compaction on the damaged portions of the diaphragm wall are completed at 93 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.”

On implementation of the resettlement and rehabilitation package, 12,658 project-displaced families have been shifted to the rehabilitation centres, out of the targeted 20,946 PDFs. The expenditure incurred for doing so was Rs 20,980 crore. Out of this, Rs 14,418 crore was reimbursed.

On land acquisition and resettlement and rehabilitation, the contour mapping was completed for 317 habitations that were affected up to 45.72 metres. In 123 habitations, 20,946 PDFs have been identified to be affected up to 41.15 metres and a Light Detection and Ranging survey (LIDAR) was taken up in 36 villages. These were scheduled for completion in phase-2.

Even as the habitation is at a higher elevation above 41.15 metres, agriculture fields are getting submerged and the habitations are also getting partially submerged, becoming inaccessible and marooned. So, the water resources authorities want LA and RR for 36 villages covering 48 habitations to be completed on a priority basis.

To do so, land to be acquired is 12,679 acres and PDFs are estimated to be 16,642. For land acquisition, a fund of'1,779.6 crore is required and for cash entitlement to PDFs, Rs 1,320.8 crore. For housing and infrastructure under R and R, a sum of Rs 2027.2 crore is required with total estimated cost put at Rs 5,127 crore.

On the other hand, AP requires Rs 17,144 crore for head works, right main canal, left main canal, balance land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation.

Recently, AP water resources authorities met the Union Jal Sakthi minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat and sought a release of Rs 17,144 crore to go ahead with the execution of several components of the project. The minister promised to do the needful.

Meanwhile, the Telangana irrigation authorities wrote a letter to the Polavaram Project Authority expressing concern over backwater and submergence effects due to Polavaram project, sought protection measures and called for a joint survey of areas getting submerged.

AP water resources authorities maintain that the survey at full reservoir level of 45.72 metres was done in 2005-06 and hence they ruled out any need for a fresh survey.

Polavaram project superintendent engineer Narasimha Murthy said, “The project’s FRL at 45.72 metres remains unchanged and a survey was already carried out. There is no need for a fresh survey as this is quite common during floods to the Godavri river. Low-lying areas get submerged all along its course. We are not impounding any water at the project as they are let off by lifting all the gates at the spillway during the floods in the river.”