VIJAYAWADA: Union Jal Shakti ministry has in its annual report disclosed that a total of 94,485 Polavaram project disturbed families living in areas of dam levels up to 41.15 metres and above will be shifted as part of the resettlement and rehabilitation programme.
According to the report for 2022-23, the project is affecting eight mandals, 222 revenue villages and 373 habitations. The habitations shifted are 38 while 335 are yet to be shifted. Of the total 215 relief and rehabilitation (R&R) colonies, 26 have been completed and the remaining 187 are yet to be completed. The total project disturbed families (PDFs) are 1,06,006. Of them, 11,521 have been shifted and 94,485 are yet to be shifted.
The report states that the second revised cost estimate of ₹55,548.87 crore at the 2017–18 price level has been examined by Central Water Commission. The same has been accepted by the Department of Water Resources advisory committee on February 11, 2019. The revised cost committee in its report submitted to the department on March 17, 2022, recommended the second revised cost estimate as ₹47,725.74 crore at the 2017–18 price level.
The Jal Shakti report maintains that the project is in an advanced stage of construction. The physical and financial progress of the project up to November 2022, as submitted by the Water Resources Department of Andhra Pradesh, is as follows:
Physical progress: Earthwork – 86.99 per cent, Concrete works – 81.15 per cent, and Structures – 69.83 per cent.
Financial progress includes: Head works – 76.99 per cent, right main canal – 92.75 per cent, left main canal – 72.33 per cent, total project works – 78.64 per cent, land acquisition and R&R – 22.16 per cent, and overall project works, including land acquisition and R&R – 48.04 per cent.
Since the inception of the project works, an expenditure of ₹20,736.31 crores has been incurred on the execution of the project till November 2022, while ₹4,730.71 crores had been spent before Polavaram had been declared as a national project.
As per the report, central assistance of ₹562.47 crore has been given to AP under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme till March 2014. Centre will provide 100 per cent of the remaining cost of the project’s irrigation component for the period starting from April 1, 2014, to the extent of the cost of the irrigation component on that date.
An eligible amount of ₹13,226.04 crore has so far been released for the project’s execution by the Centre after declaring Polavaram as a national project, the report stated.
