Rs 800 crore extra for polavaram project due to TD misdeeds: Ambati

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for water resources, Ambati Rambabu pointed out Rs 800 crore extra has to be spent on the Polavaram multipurpose project due to pointless works taken up by the earlier Telugu Desam government resulting in cofferdam and diaphragm wall damages. The minister said YSR Congress is working hard for the completion of Polavaram project and refuted allegations of reducing its height.

Addressing a press meet at the YSRC central office on Friday, Rambabu slammed the Opposition and a section of media for false news on Polavaram project and said the state government is committed to complete the project. He said that the damage to the diaphragm wall and cofferdam of the project was due to corruption by the TD government for commission.

He said the works must be taken up in an orderly manner and the spillway should have been constructed first, but the previous Chandrababu Naidu regime executed the project in a haphazard way leaving everything incomplete. The minister stated that the lack of proper planning and floods caused damage to the project resulting in additional expenditure. He added that this is the first time it happened in the world and Naidu should be held responsible for it.

With regard to Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) works, minister Rambabu said the decision to complete R&R works in phases was taken by the Central Water Commission along with Polavaram Project Authority and the state government is implementing the recommendations. He said it is technically wrong to fill water at the full capacity of 45.72 metres and then start rehabilitation works in Polavaram project. He said the Central Water Commission has decided to fill water at the capacity of 41.15 metres and complete rehabilitation in submerged villages and then gradually increase the capacity of water and complete the rehabilitation works.