Address rehabilitation of Polavaram oustees, AP told

New Delhi: Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, chairperson of the principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) here, along with judicial member Justice S P Wangdi and expert member Nagin Nanda delivering the judgment in the case filed by Dr Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy against the State of Telangana refused to transfer the Polavaram proceedings to the Supreme Court.

The principal bench said that all the recommendations of the expert committee need to be accepted except the first suggestion of transferring the proceedings to the Supreme Court. The tribunal has no jurisdiction to transfer proceedings to the Supreme Court, the NGT said.

Since different states are involved, the ministry of Jal Shakti and the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) may coordinate the compliance by holding a joint meeting with all the authorities concerned and first such meeting may be held within one month (physical or virtual as may be viable).

Earlier, the expert committee submitting its recommendations pointed out that the issues related flash-submergence anticipated by Telangana post completion of the project was not examined by Polavaram Project Authority or the Andhra Pradesh government and within a period of six months, the issues may be examined and proper safeguard measures may be devised.

Though the Polavaram project is nearing completion and it is assessed that 6,316 persons in Odisha and 11,766 persons in Chhattisgarh will be affected, either rehabilitation plan or construction of protective embankments are only proposed. Polavaram Project Authority, GWDT and CWC may also look into the issue and assist the states in choosing the most beneficial and the safest option among the two.

The total number of villages affected by project only in AP (including the seven mandals of Telangana transferred to AP) is 371 villages in two districts of West Godavari and East Godavari. The rehabilitation of project-affected people as per Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation & Resettlement Act 2013 (LARR) in West Godavari district is under progress while in East Godavari district socio economic survey and the eligibility list of project affected families is yet to be prepared.

The Water Resource Development and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Commissioner shall expedite the matter and the project-affected families in AP may be rehabilitated as per LARR Act, 2013 within a period of six months.