VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu reiterated that the deadline for the completion of the Polavaram project is March 2024 and the distributary canal system of the project should be ready by June of that year. In a written reply to TDP MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, he mentioned the deadline for the irrigation project. However, in view of major floods in Godavari in 2020 and 2022, some delay in the proposed schedule is expected.
The number of key components of the project, such as spillway, upstream coffer dam, concrete dam (gap III), and diaphragm wall of earth-cum-rock-fill dam (gap) have been completed. Implementation of other key components like the construction of the ECRF dam (gap I & II) and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) of affected project displaced families (PDFs) are at different stages, he explained.
With regard to funding of the project, he said the Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP) is being undertaken in line with the Ministry of Finance Office Memorandum (OM) dated September 30, which mandates the Government of India to provide 100% of the remaining cost of the irrigation component of the project only for the period starting from April 1, 2014, to the extent of the cost of the irrigation component on that date.
The GoI has been reimbursing, from time to time, the eligible expenditure incurred by the State government on the project with effect from April 1, 2014. The reimbursement is being done upon receipt of verified bills and recommendations from the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) and the Central Water Commission (CWC), he elaborated.
According to the Union Minister, the State government has informed that an expenditure of Rs 16,035.88 crore has been incurred on the project from April 2014 to December 2022. Excluding the amount provisioned for the PPA, an eligible amount of Rs 13,226.04 crore has been released by the Centre for the execution of the project since April 1, 2014. Bills amounting to Rs 2,390.27 crore are not found eligible for reimbursement by the PPA. Bills amounting to Rs 548.38 crore have been received by the PPA for examination.
With regard to reimbursements to be made to Andhra Pradesh for the project during the remaining period of the current financial year, he said they shall be based on the bills submitted by the State government, and also on the bills recommended by the PPA and CWC for the expenditure made by the State on the project. Meanwhile, Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat clarified that the GoI is not providing any grant for the hydropower project in Polavaram, which is being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5,338.95 crore by APGENCO.
In a written reply to YSRC MP V Vijayasai Reddy’s query in the Rajya Sabha, he said the 960 MW hydropower project is being constructed by APGENCO as part of the Polavaram project and as informed by it the estimated cost is at 2016-17 price level. APGNECO has informed that the earthwork excavation for the foundation of the powerhouse has been completed. The target date for completion of the hydropower project is January 2026.
To another question by the MP on interlinking of river projects in the country, Bishweswar Tudu stated that DPRs of only eight out of the 30 identified interlinking projects have been computed. In his written reply, the minister said the feasibility report of another 24 link projects have also been completed.
“Under the national perspective plan, for national water development, 30 link projects have been identified and pre-feasibility reports of all of them have been completed. For river interlinking, it has been proposed to share the cost on 60:40 ratio between the Centre and the State. There is no change in the decision,” he said. With regard to cost estimates and raising of the required capital, he said those issues could only be discussed at the time of the implementation of the project.