VIJAYAWADA: Presiding over the technical meeting on the Polavaram Irrigation Project in New Delhi on Friday, Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman RK Gupta outrightly rejected to consider the backwater effect due to Probable Maximum Flood (PMF).
The meeting, attended by Engineer-in-Chiefs (ENCs) of the four stakeholder States of the Polavaram project -- Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana -- was held on the Supreme Court directions. This was in continuation of a virtual meeting of the ENCs of the four States and senior officials of the Ministry of Jal Shakti held earlier.
While initiating the proceedings, the CWC Chairman outlined that the major concerns were spillway design flood, backwater effect for Standard Project Flood (SPF) and Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) and protective measures for the affected areas as per the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award.
According to sources, the CWC Chairman was clear in his message to the officials of the other three States that Polavaram is beneficial to all the stakeholder Sates of the national project. He also dismissed claims of Telangana that Bhadrachalam was in danger when the flood level in the Godavari was 21 to 22 lakh cusecs.
The CWC asked the ENCs of Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha to submit reports of their apprehensions (technical) if any on flooding by October 19 and it would look into them. Chhattisgarh called for finalising the PMF value for design as well as the backwater effect as various studies reported PMF up to 58 lakh cusecs.
Odisha stressed for consideration of 58 lakh cusecs PMF for both the spillway design and the backwater effect. It also emphasised limitations in the backwater study of CWC and AP operation protocol, hydrology, and statutory clearances for its convenience hypothesis. The State said until these things were settled and finalised, the acceptance of the public hearing and joint survey was not possible.
Reiterating its demand for a fresh backwater effect study citing the anomaly between the CWC projected backwater effect based on mathematical modelling values and the actual observed flood events, Telangana highlighted the impact of the July 2022 flood affecting 28,000 people in 103 villages. It also mentioned the drainage congestion and asserted that the project submergence affects 50,000 acres in seven mandals.
TS argument rejected
AP and the CWC rejected the argument of Telangana that Bhadrachalam was in danger due to backwater during the Godavari floods. AP agreed to cooperate with other States in taking all the protective measures duly undertaking a joint survey