Telangana asks AP to ensure free flood flow in Godavari

State government has asked the Polavaram Project Authority to ensure free flow of flood water at the Polavaram project

Hyderabad: The State government has asked the Polavaram Project Authority to ensure free flow of flood water at the Polavaram project during the monsoon period.

Sounding a caution against impounding water in the storage reservoir that is nearing completion, it sought all its 48 gates including the river sluices to be kept open all through the water year.

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It also requested to initiate protection measures to redressing submergence issues being experienced in the upstream stretches in Telangana.

Telangana has also stressed the need for a fresh study by any independent agency under the aegis of the Central water commission for correct assessment of the probable maximum flood (PMF) and its corresponding backwater affect by considering the latest conditions in the river cross sections.

The State had already made a strong case of submergence of 899 acres due to standing water with the project at its full reservoir level of 150 feet. Another 50,000 acres of area in Telangana is likely to be affected due to the backwater effects. Drainage congestion and stagnation of local streams would add further to the impact with the impounding of water in the project.

An extent of 40,000 acres of land was affected during the floods in July last year. The State has been voicing concern over the impact of flood on the historical temple of Lord Rama at Bhadrachalam.

Besides this, the Manuguru Heavy Water Plant, a vital installation, needs to be spared from the impact of flood on priority.

The State has already moved the Supreme Court on its concerns in 2019. Consequent to the orders of the Supreme Court issued on September 6, 2022, the State had taken up the submergence issues with the Central Water Commission and the Polavaram Project Authority.

The data available with Andhra Pradesh also established that about 954 acres of land would be coming under submergence in Telangana.

The State also wanted demarcation of areas being impacted due to backwaters blocking the drainage of Kinnerasani and Murreduvagu, both tributaries of Godavari in between the two upstream points of Kothagudem and Bhadrachalam.

The drainage system of another 31 such other local streams would also be blocked by the backwaters in the river during the monsoons. Many lift irrigation schemes and parks will be affected along with agriculture lands in Aswapuram, Bhadrachalam, Burgumpadu, Cherla, Dummugudem, Pinapaka and Manuguru revenue mandals in Telangana.

Though the Central Water Commission has consented for a joint survey on drainage congestion of seven big streams, AP authorities were yet to respond positively. The State had written twice to the AP authorities in the last two months seeking immediate ground survey.

The State also urged the CWC to facilitate a survey without the involvement of AP in case of its non- cooperation.

Floods in Godavari which touched 71.3 feet at Bhadrachalam in July 2022 resulted in displacement of 28000 people in 103 villages and submergence of 40,446 acres. But Andhra Pradesh argued that the flood in Godavari need not be related to the impounding of water in the project.