The Hindu Business Line : Call to frame water policy for Vizag development

Visakhapatnam June 5 Politicians, retired bureaucrats, journalists and prominent citizens of Visakhapatnam have demanded formulation (and implementation) of a clear water policy by the State Government for the development of the city, giving priority to drinking water first, agriculture next and then industry.

This plea was made at a roundtable conference organised by the Vizag Journalists' Forum here on Tuesday (the World Environment Day), in view of the raging controversy over allotment of 8 million gallons per day (mgd) of water to the proposed Jindal alumina refinery in Vizianagaram district by the Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Godavari project.

It may be noted that at a public hearing conducted in Vizianagaram district on Monday over the Jindal project, the overwhelming majority opposed the establishment of the plant and the allocation of of water.

No scope

Prof R.V Rama Rao, former principal of the Andhra University Engineering College, said there was no scope for allotment of 8 mgd of water to the Jindal plant, as currently Vizag is facing drinking water deficit.

"The world over, the accepted norm is first priority to drinking water, and then to agriculture and only then to the industry." Therefore, without augmenting water supply to the city, there is no way the Government can supply water to the Jindal plant, he said.

Prof Rao suggested several measures to augment water supply to Visakhapatnam. He opined that the interests of farmers in the Raiwada command area should get precedence over that of the Jindals. A separate water source should be found for the Jindal plant, he added.

In a similar vein, Mr G. Srinivasa Rao, of the Telugu Desam party, Mr Ch. Ramakotaiah (BJP), Mr J. Satyanarayana Murthy (CPI) and several others criticised the hurried decision of the State Government.

Mr V.S. Krishna, convener of the Human Rights Forum, pleaded for just distribution of water and Mr R. Ravi, of the Samata, an NGO, said that right now the city was 35 per cent water deficit and it was projected to rise to 80 per cent by 2020. The two speakers said there was no surplus with the GVMC to allocate water to the Jindal plant.

Mr E.A.S Sarma, retired bureaucrat, pleaded for a clear land and water policy for Vizag, as it was developing fast, and there was a need to formulate such a policy with the aid of experts. Allocation of water to the Jindal plant, he said, was a knee-jerk reaction and such reactions would not do.

Mr S. Gopala Sastry, a retired engineer, condemned the Government for treating such an important issue in a haphazard manner.

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