VIJAYAWADA: The Centre on Wednesday kept the ‘stop work order’, related to Polavaram multipurpose project, in abeyance till July 2, 2023. In February 2011, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued the ‘stop work order’ asking the Andhra Pradesh government to stall all works on Polavaram project, following objections raised by neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Odisha governments.
After Polavaram has been declared a national project, the then State government prevailed upon the Centre and got ‘stop work order’ kept in abeyance for a year from June 2015. Subsequently, the Union Ministry had been extending the ‘abeyance’ period annually.
The extension period ended on July 2, 2021 but works on the projects have been continuing unhindered. Based on a fresh request from the state government and also the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, the Environment and Forest Ministry issued an order on Wednesday keeping the stop work order in abeyance for a further period of two years (from July 2, 2021) since it is a national project. The Impact Assessment Division under the Ministry communicated this to the AP Water Resources Department Special Chief Secretary vide an office memorandum.