TNI Bureau: A delegation of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today met Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman over the controversial Polavaram Project in Andhra Pradesh and requested for 10 immediate actions.
The BJD delegation comprising Debi Prasad Mishra, Sulata Deo, Niranjan Bishi, Niranjan Pujari, Pramila Mallik, Bhrugu Baxipatra, Ramesh Chandra Majhi, Manas Madkami, Priyabrata Majhi, Subhashish Khuntia, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, Muzibulla Khan and Sasmit Patra summited a memorandum to the CWC Chairman.
In the memorandum they drew the attention of the CWC to the pressing concerns of the State of Odisha, particularly the Malkangiri District, regarding the submergence of large areas due to the construction of the Polavaram Project in Andhra Pradesh. The implications of this project for the lives and livelihoods of thousands of tribal people, especially those from Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in Malkangiri, require urgent attention and remedial action, they claimed.
This is with reference that our delegation met you and your team on 05-12-2024 and had submitted a memorandum regarding the issues and concerns of Odisha but they have not still been considered by your good office. We have only received minutes of the summary of records of the meeting held on 28-08-2024 at New Delhi in respect of Polavaram Irrigation Project pursuant to the orders passed by The Honourable Supreme Court dated 06-09-2022 & 07-12-2022.
The BJD leaders sought the following ten immediate actions:
1. Conduct consultations with all stakeholders as per the Honuorable Supreme Court orders dated 06-09-2022 and 07-12-2022.
2. Imitate a consultation process with all the concerned Chief Ministers through the Central Water Commission (CWC).
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3. Issue a stop work order to the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Government of India until the demands of Odisha are addressed.
4. Ensure that no alterations are made to the initial design of the Polavaram Project, until the issues raised by Odisha are resolved.
5. Conduct a fresh backwater study for the revised design food of 50 lakh cusecs and take into account the PMF (58 lakh cusecs) as suggested by IIT Roorkee.
6. Prioritize the safety and well-being of the tribal communities in Malkangiri by conducting proper surveys and identifying the areas likely to be submerged.
7. Ensure that the resettlement and rehabilitation plans are completed in consultation with the Odisha Government, with special focus on the vulnerable and primitive tribal populations.
8. Reassess the submergence levels and revise the Polavaram project accordingly to prevent any adverse impact on Odisha.
9. The several initial aspects like spillway discharge capacity, reservoir operation schedule be outlined, particularly in relation to the maximum food impact.
10. We also request confirmation on whether backwater calculation computations for the upstream rivers in Odisha have been carried out or not. Another concern is whether the reservoir can be filled without completing the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) process for the affected areas.
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