Polavaram project: Odisha awaiting Union Cabinet's report

Once we get the report, it will be placed before the government. We may also approach the Supreme Court if necessary, says Odisha chief secretary J K Mohapatra

Barely two days after the Union Cabinet approved the proposal to set up the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) for executing the controversial Polavaram irrigation project, the Odisha government said it will act once details of the decision are known.

The PPA has been formed to fast track the project that is still locked up in litigation. While Andhra Pradesh has backed the project, both Odisha and Chhattisgarh have voiced their protest, citing large scale displacement of people and inundation.

"We are awaiting the details of the Union Cabinet decision on the Polavaram project. Once we get the report, it will be placed before the government. We may also approach the Supreme Court if necessary", said chief secretary J K Mohapatra.

Mohapatra said the government is examining the issue of displacement of people in Malkangiri district where large areas are feared to be inundated if the project comes up.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) which has been vehemently opposing the Polavaram project flayed both the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for pledging support to the project for narrow political gains.

In August 2013, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to stop construction of the dam till pending issues are resolved while reiterating his state's opposition to the grant of national project status to Polavaram project.

Patnaik had said that many technical issues are to be resolved on the issue of design flood, reservoir operation schedule, adherence to GWDT (Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal) award/BIS codes in the formulation of the Polavaram project which have bearing on backwater effect and the extent of submergence in Odisha.

In 1979, the Central Water Commission (CWC) considered Polavaram as barrage for design flood purpose.

Patnaik pointed out that the CWC has failed to ensure the 1980 agreement incorporated in the GWDT award that gave a method of reservoir operation of the Polavaram during floods to minimise the submergence in Odisha and Chattisgarh.