Polavaram lift scheme avoidable burden to Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Samagrabhivruddi Adhyayana Vedika expressed surprise over the state government's decision to take up Polavaram lift irrigation projectamidst current financial crisis, instead of completing the Polavaram project.

The state issued a GO recently for taking up Polavaram lift irrigation project at a cost of Rs 912 crore, which was approved by the Cabinet that met on Tuesday.

Adhyayana Vedika convener T Lakshminarayana said in a statement on Wednesday that instead of taking up lift irrigation burdening the state exchequer, the government can supply water to drought-hit districts by completing the Polavaram project with a height of 150 metres following the guidelines of Central Water Commission and store 194.6 tmc ft of water. By storing 194.6 tmc ft, the state government can supply water through gravity from right main canal.

The Adhyayana Vedika expressed suspicion that the state government took up the lift irrigation scheme as the Central government rejected the Polavaram DPR-2. The state government should get the DPR-2 sanctioned by Central government to complete the national project as the Centre decided earlier to bear the cost of entire project.

The convener expressed surprise over the proposal of Polavaram lift irrigation which was aimed to lift water from dead storage at 32 metres to supply water to drought-hit Krishna and West Godavari districts.

He said if the Polavaram project was completed immediately, it would help to utilise 322 tmc ft of water to irrigate 7.20 lakh acre new ayacut and stablise water supply to 10.5 lakh acre in Godavari delta. By developing the canals, drinking water can be provided to 30 lakh people in 540 villages, Visakhapatnam city and steel plant. By diverting 80 tmc ft of water to Prakasam barrage, Krishna delta ayacut can be stabilised. The water reserves from Srisailam reservoir can be diverted to drought-prone Rayalaseema region, said Lakshminarayana.