VIJAYAWADA: Stating that relocation of the project-displaced families (PDFs) of +41.15 m contour of Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP) is underway, Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) has said 6,351 families were moved to the rehabilitation and resettlement (R and R) colonies till September 14.
Out of the 75 R and R colonies proposed for rehabilitating the PDFs in the first phase, 26 were completed.
“At present, works in the R and R colonies and shifting is going on for phase-I PDFs. The total number of project-displaced families up to +41.15 m contour (phase-I) are 20,946. Of them, 6,351 PDFs have been shifted as of September 14, 2021, after payment of monetary benefits. While 26 R&R colonies were completed, works for the remaining 49 are under progress,” director (A and C) and central public information officer of PPA P Devender Rao said in a reply dated September 21 to an RTI filed by TNIE.
Although the official count is 6,351 PDFs, sources said the number is higher, claiming that several PDFs voluntarily moved to the R and R colonies in the wake of floods. The officials said the actual numbers will be updated after the payment of the compensation and other entitlements.
The PPA further explained that the rehabilitation and resettlement were being done in two phases: phase-I for villages under submergence under +41.15 m contour, and phase-II for villages under submergence between +41.15 m and +45.72 m contour. “Out of the 1,06,006 total number of PDFs, phase-I consists of 20,946 PDFs and phase-II consists of 85,060 PDFs,” the authority added.
To a query on when the LARR activities, which missed multiple deadlines owing to various factors, were expected to be completed as the State government has planned to release water for Kharif-2022, the authority said: “As per the construction schedule approved by PPA in the 13th meeting held in November 2020, the period set for completion of the project including LARR is April 2022.”
Nat’l project
The number of PDFs relocated is over 6,351 as many people moved to the R and R colonies voluntarily in the wake of floods, sources said
Out of the 1,06,006 total number of PDFs, phase-I consists of 20,946 and phase-II 85,060 PDFs