Polavaram backwaters will continue to inundate Bhadrachalam

Hyderabad: Telangana State has stated that the backwater levels of Polavaram project impacting the Bhadrachalam town and surrounding villages would become a common phenomenon once the project was completed and water was stored at the Full Reservoir Level (FRL). Telangana engineer-in-chief (irrigation) C Muralidhar, who attended the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) meeting here on Wednesday, […]

Hyderabad: Telangana State has stated that the backwater levels of Polavaram project impacting the Bhadrachalam town and surrounding villages would become a common phenomenon once the project was completed and water was stored at the Full Reservoir Level (FRL).

Telangana engineer-in-chief (irrigation) C Muralidhar, who attended the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) meeting here on Wednesday, told the authorities that due to the backwater effect, there would also be a problem of local drainage congestion along the river banks and local streams such as Peddavagu, Edullavagu, Pamuleru vagu, Turubakavagu and 31 other major & medium streams causing loss and destruction in the areas in Telangana on either side of river Godavari.

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He pointed out that backwaters of the project were responsible for inundation of Bhadrachalam town and surrounding villages after heavy rains lashed the State in July this year. The July floods have inundated 103 villages submerging a total area of 40,446 acres, he informed. According to him, the only possible solution for drainage of the low-lying area of Bhadrachalam town and the adjoining Burgampahad and Sarapaka would be continuous pumping.

He further stated that out of eight outfall regulators, 3 regulators for drainage at Vista complex, Kotha colony and Etapaka with sill levels below the FRL of Polavaram project will be under submergence throughout . These outfall regulators at Bhadrachalam town are to be kept closed during storage of Polavaram project and it is necessary to continuously lift the drainage and rain water accumulated at Outfall regulators to avoid inundation of Bhadrachalam town especially at Temple, he explained.

He stated that the Andhra Pradesh government had failed to demarcate the areas affected due to stagnation along Kinnersani & Murreduvagu which shall be undertaken on priority along with demarcation of the area affected due to similar issue in respect of 35 other streams.

He alleged that the AP government was taking up unauthorized Lift Irrigation Project on dead storage of Polavaram project. He further stated that though the AP government was directed to stop all activities and follow the stipulated procedure and submit the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the scheme for appraisal to Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) and Central Water Commission (CWC) and approval of Apex Council, it was not following the norms.