Polavaram: Telangana demands fresh survey to avoid submergence

HYDERABAD: State Irrigation officials once again raised the submergence of Telangana areas under the backwaters of Polavaram at the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) meeting held here on Wednesday. Irrigation Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) C Muralidhar, V Mohan Kumar, chief engineer (ISWR), Executive Engineer Subramanya Prasd (ISWR) and Chief Engineer Kothagudem Srinivas Reddy represented Telangana at the meeting.

The TS engineers submitted a detailed memorandum on the backwater problem and urged the PPA to carry out a fresh survey with an independent agency.“The standing water at full reservoir level (FRL) will result in submergence of 892 acres on either side from Bhadrachalam to Dummugudem. The 892 acres includes Nagineniprolu (Burgampadu mandal) 364 acres, Mothhey (Burgampadu) 125 acres, Anandapuram (Aswapuram) 70 acres, Iravendi (Burgampadu) 93 acres, Seetharam Nagaram (Palvancha) 154 acres and Thurubaka village (Dummugudem mandal) 86 acres,” the TS officials informed the PPA.

“Due to the backwater, there would also be a problem of local drainage congestion along the river banks and local streams viz Peddavagu, Edullavagu, Pamuleru vagu, Turubakavagu and 31 other major and medium streams causing loss and destruction in the areas in Telangana on either side of river Godavari. The July 2022 floods inundated 103 villages submerging a total area of 40,446 acres,” the TS officials said.

They suggested pumping arrangements need to be made along the floodbanks that need to be maintained throughout the year. Besides, demarcation/mapping of all the 36 streams is to be undertaken, they pointed out.“The National Green Tribunal in its 2019 order directed AP to take up safeguard measures. A joint cross-sectional survey was done and CWC submitted its study report in June 2021.

However, the AP government failed to demarcate the areas affected due to stagnation along Kinnerasani and Murreduvagu, which shall be undertaken on priority along with demarcation of areas affected due to similar issues in respect of 35 other streams,” the TS officials said. The TS officials also demanded that AP stop the unauthorised lift irrigation project taken up by it from the dead storage of Polavaram project.

However, AP Irrigation Principal Secretary Shashi Bhushan recalled that the construction of Polavaram was started after obtaining all the required permissions. He said that no one requested a joint survey on the backwaters of Polavaram and refused the request made by Telangana. “If the TS officials submit their objections in writing, the AP government would examine them and give a reply,” Bhushan said. He added that the AP government was searching for a suitable site in Rajahmundry for shifting the PPA office.

Risk of submergence to 892 acres, PPA told
The standing waters from FRL of Polavaram will result in submergence of 892 acres on either side from Bhadrac-halam to Dummugudem, the TS team told the PPA