The Hindu Business Line : Plea to build Polavaram project

The Andhra Pradesh Government has been urged to go ahead with the mega Polavaram irrigation project on the Godavari, regardless of the objections raised by the CPI (M) and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, as it is essential to save the Krishna and Godavari deltas and in view of the total irrigation needs of the State.

A resolution to that effect was passed here on Sunday morning at a meeting convened by Mr K. Sivaji, a member of the Pradesh Congress Committee. Leaders from different parties, barring the CPI (M), and several farmers associations spoke in support of the Government stand on the project.

multiple benefits

Mr M. Buddha Prasad, Congress MLA from Avanigadda, said the project had multiple benefits, such as the transfer of 80 tmc ft of water from the Godavari basin to the Krishna, generation of 960 MWs of cheap hydel power and irrigation to 7.5 lakh acres in the uplands of the two Godavari districts, Visakhapatnam and Krishna.

Mr K. Nageswara Rao, CPI, said the project is essential not only for the farmers of the Krishna and Godavari deltas, but for the entire State. He explained at length how the inter-basin transfer of water (from the Godavari basin to the Krishna) would benefit the Telangana and Rayalaseema regions in the upper reaches. He said there was no need to change the design of the proposed dam or to reduce its height.

Prof K. B. Reddy, head of the Environmental Department, of the Nagarjuna University, who prepared the environmental impact report on the Polavaram project, said the experts had given environmental clearance to the project after examining all the issues. He said the opposition to the project was totally misconceived.

Mr Jayaprakash, Telugu Desam party, Mr P. Koteswara Rao, Congress, and several others spoke urging the Government to go ahead with the project.

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