Telangana seeks speedy survey of the impact of Polavaram on Bhadrachalam

HYDERABAD: With the monsoon season fast approaching, Telangana government has urged the Central Water Commission (CWC) for a speedy redressal of the issues raised by it over the impact of the Polavaram Project on its territory.

The Telangana government has particularly expressed concern over the impact of the Full Reservoir level (FRL) of the Polavaram Project on the temple town of Bhadrachalam. It has sought joint checking of levels in eight outfall sluices at Bhadrachalam town and the nearby Manuguru Heavy Water Plant. The state government has been demanding the strengthening of bunds to protect the temple town from inundation during the flooding season.

Recently, C Muralidhar, Engineer-in-Chief (General) of the Telangana Irrigation department, dashed a letter to the CWC asking it to expedite the issue with the Andhra Pradesh government as the increased FRL of the said project might inundate vast tracts in Telangana during the rainy season. However, the Andhra Pradesh government has time and again denied any such impact on the territory of its sibling state Telangana.

In his letter, the Telangana ENC referred to the three technical meetings and a coordination meeting held on the issue of Polavaram backwaters where both states have agreed to exchange data to facilitate ground truthing and a joint survey under the aegis of the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA).

As per the AP government’s submission, the extent of submergence on the Telangana side is 954.15 acres. The Telangana government has sought immediate protection under the provisions of the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal Award (GWDTA). The ENC has also expressed concern over the congestion of the Kinnerasani and Murredu Vagu rivers and seven other streams due to Polavaram FRL.

Telangana government has argued that during the record floods in Godavari in July 2022, the massive inundation of areas across the upstream along the AP-TS border was the result of the height of the Polavaram project. The fear of more floods in the temple town arises out of the fact that a discharge of 50 lakh cusecs approved by the CWC could play havoc with the temple town, compared to the originally proposed discharge of 36 lakh cusecs.