Telangana in touch with Polavaram Project Authority on backwater threat

The flood level in the river crossed the danger mark of 51 feet at the temple town of Bhadrachalam on Tuesday. In case of further rise in the river flow, the threat of huge submergence looms large.

Hyderabad: The State is constantly in touch with the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) and Irrigation officials of Andhra Pradesh on the backwaters issue of the Polavaram project in view of the flood situation turning grave in Godavari. The flood level in the river crossed the danger mark of 51 feet at the temple town of Bhadrachalam on Tuesday. In case of further rise in the river flow, the threat of huge submergence looms large.

Though the flood may recede in the upstream points in Telangana in case of some let up in the rain situation as per the flood forecast, it shows a rising trend at the downstream points as Sabari, a tributary, is in full flood. The Sabari in its fiercest form often blocks the free flow in Godavari adding to the problem of inundation in Telangana. Besides monitoring the flood flow at all upstream points in the river, the State officials have been taking information on the situation at Polavaram from time to time. The Polavaram project authorities had so far kept all the gates open to ensure that flood waters received were discharged without resulting in any submergence.

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Telangana officials are hopeful of engaging AP in a dialogue soon on key issues such as the long pending joint survey to determine the extent of submergence the water levels in Polavaram are maintained at full and minimum reservoir levels during the peak flood season. Polavaram project will also facilitate AP for diverting some 80 TMC of Godavari water to Krishna basin. The project was designed to irrigate approximately 4,36,825 hectares of land. It will generate 960 MW of hydroelectric power. The project will supply drinking water to around 28.5 lakh people in 611 villages.

The reservoir to be created by the dam will have a total storage capacity of 194 TMC. At the same time, it remains a constant threat for the revenue division of Bhadrachalam and Palvancha in the State. The Polavaram backwaters issue should have been discussed during the meeting of the Chief Ministers of the two States held in Hyderabad recently, but it did not figure in the agenda. It is a complex issue and a dialogue is crucial to mitigate the risks and ensure the safety and well-being of the affected regions. The issues could be addressed only with discussions at the highest level, said officials.