CWC sounds alert to AP on Polavaram backwaters, insists on speeding up joint survey

Besides Telangana, two other riparian States – Odisha and Chhattisgarh - have also voiced their concerns over the risk of submergence caused by the project at its Full Reservoir Level (FRL).

Hyderabad: The Central Water Commission has called for steps to speed up the joint survey process for assessing the impact of the Polavaram project. Besides Telangana, two other riparian States – Odisha and Chhattisgarh – have also voiced their concerns over the risk of submergence caused by the project at its Full Reservoir Level (FRL).

Telangana had made it clear that the Polavaram project authority may have to lower the FRL of the project, unless the backwater impact was addressed in earnest, according to a senior officer of the State. At a recent meeting convened by the CWC, the affected States wanted collaborative solutions for addressing the issues involved effectively. Telangana requested the CWC to address these submergence issues by emphasizing the need for joint survey and studies to assess the impact on various streams and areas, including the temple town of Bhadrachalam and the Heavy Water Plant, a vital installation at Manuguru. Despite multiple representations and meetings, many of these concerns remain unresolved. The State has raised concerns about the potential submergence and flooding in its territory due to the backwater effects of the project.

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The Central Water Commission (CWC) has already submitted a compliance affidavit to the Supreme Court regarding the impact of backwaters from the Polavaram project while Andhra Pradesh has proposed constructing flood banks or providing compensation to affected areas to mitigate the impact.The CWC wanted the Polavaram project authority to make coordinated efforts involving the States concerned to complete the task by setting up a timeframe for it. It also insisted on taking the flood levels of July, 2022 into consideration for mapping the impact area. Though the survey was already conducted in respect of the flood impact on Manuguru vagu and Kinnerasani river, the marking exercise was yet to be completed.