KHAMMAM: Tribals in Bhadrachalam and Palvoncha divisions are a worried lot as the number of villages to be submerged under the Polavaram project have gone up.
A recent survey by the Polavaram project officials has revealed that in addition to the 276 villages already identified, 70 more tribal villages in Bhadrachalam, Kunavaram, Chintur, VR Puram, Kukunur and Velerupad mandals in Khammam district are also likely to be submerged under the project.
The survey report has been submitted to the government.
As per the survey conducted in 2001, 276 villages, including 205 villages in Khammam district, will be submerged under the Polavaram project displacing 1,70,275 tribals.
However, according to the latest survey the number of persons likely to be displaced has gone up to 4 lakh. It is learnt that some more villages are also likely to be added to the list.
It may be mentioned that 21 tribal associations had organised a national seminar recently opposing the Polavaram project. The speakers at the seminar exhorted tribals to gear up for an agitation for stopping the project.
Tribal associations like Tudumdebba, Adivasi Sankshema Parishad and Human Rights Vedika are preparing an action plan to thwart the project. Tudumdebba state president V Narayana alleged that the state government was showing stepmotherly treatment towards the tribals. He accused the government of making public the exact number villages to be submerged under the project.