Central Water Commission agrees for joint survey of Polavaram flood areas

The CWC has asked the Andhra Pradesh government to cooperate with the joint survey.

Hyderabad: Following the Telangana government’s appeal to the Centre over the adverse impact of the Polavaram project backwaters, the Central Water Commission (CWC) has agreed to conduct a fresh joint survey of Polavaram full reservoir level flood areas. The CWC has asked the Andhra Pradesh government to cooperate with the joint survey.

CWC chairman Kushvinder Vohra announced this during a technical committee meeting on the impact on the backwaters of Godavari river due to the construction of Polavaram Irrigation Project in Andhra Pradesh held in New Delhi on Wednesday. Taking into consideration Telangana’s objections over the adverse impact of the Polavaram project backwaters, the CWC has agreed to conduct a fresh joint study on the anomaly between the CWC-projected effect and the actual flood observed.

The representatives of Telangana showed all evidence to the Chairman of the CWC and also pointed out that 899 acres of land in 6 villages in Burgampadu and Bhadrachalam mandals of Kothagudem district were marked and shown on the maps of Survey of India. The CWC chairman agreed to this and decided to undertake a joint survey under the Polavaram authority, asking Andhra Pradesh to cooperate.

It was also decided to conduct a joint survey in the case of 8 outfall ponds in Bhadrachalam taking into consideration the evidence shown by Telangana. The Andhra Pradesh government was asked to immediately demarket the affected areas. In addition, Andhra Pradesh was asked to undertake such a process on 6 other large rivers in the first phase under the Polavaram Project Authority.

The CWC also advised Andhra Pradesh to conduct a survey in the vicinity of Heavy Water Plant (Manuguru) and Bhadrachalam Ram Temple and identify the flood prone areas.

Presenting the views of State government, Engineer-in-Chief Nagendra Rao said that the Telangana government was not against the construction of the Polavaram project but only wants to study the effects of the Polavaram project and take appropriate protective measures.