By: J R Janumpalli
The union government promulgated an ordinance annexing 7 mandals of Bhadrachalam division to Seemandhra. Now the ordinance is used to amend A.P.Reorganization Act 2014 in the present Parliament session. It is done to facilitate the construction of Polavaram, a very controversial project with a potential to create perhaps the biggest harm to environment and human settlements in the country. It submerges 306 villages in Telangana, A.P, Chhattisgarh and Odisha states. Displaces about 4 lakh people — most of them aboriginal tribals.
In addition, the project in its present design is said to be a potential disaster to Seemandhra also. As river Godavari is prone to very high floods to the magnitude of 90 lakh cusecs and above, the present spill way design for 50 lakh cusecs is not adequate. There is every possibility of the rock filled earthen dam to break. This can result in a watery grave to 50 lakh people downstream with about twenty towns getting washed away.
There are couple of alternative designs available; one from Sri Ch.Hanumnth Rao former Engineer -in -Chief, and the other from Sri M.Dharma Rao Chief Engineer (Retd.). Govt. of erstwhile A.P. The design from Sri Hanumanth Rao envisages construction of 3 barrages instead of one earthen dam at Polavaram including one at Polavaram and two upstream. Sri M.Dharma Rao’s design proposes a barrage on Sabari, balancing reservoirs on its tributaries and using of anicut at Dummugudem on Godavari.
The two designs provide answers to every problem in the official design. All the benefits of the present design are met —- irrigating 7.2 lakh acres, diversion of 80 tmc to Krishna basin, supply of 23 tmc for drinking and industrial purposes, generating 960 MW hydro powers etc. Of the two because all the three barrages are on Godavari, the former appears to be closer to the concept of Polavaram multi-purpose Project.
The design reduces the cost, reaps some additional benefits and can be completed fast without any hassles from any quarter. It reduces the submergence of villages from 306 to 70; saves one lakh acres of agricultural land belonging to tribals and provides irrigation to it; navigation of sea going vessels from SRSP becomes possible; geological and environmental destruction is made minimal. Most importantly it eliminates the danger of ‘dam break’ totally, because of the barrages in place of one earthen dam.
This alternative designs are in the know of erstwhile A.P. government and the Central government. Yet, they have not taken them in to consideration. The official design has drawn flak from everywhere and is beset with several hindrances and dangers. The inclusion of such controversial project in the reorganization Act itself is disputed. Then annexing whole Bhadrachalm division of 7 Mandals to A.P by an ordinance on the heels of the Act passed in the Parliament is an undemocratic Act. It is done to enable the A.P. government to submerge the villages in the project and rehabilitate the displaced in other villages of the division, instead of in the developed ayacut of the Project in Seemandhra.
Those Mandals were in Seemandhra region before 1959. But, now the people of those Mandals vehemently oppose the annexation and want to be in Telangana. It may be technically right to claim those villages in the demerger. But, the purpose and the way the annexation is done outside the Parliament through an ordinance are highly reprehensible. If it is felt so apposite, it could have been discussed in Parliament as part of the Reorganization Act and resolved on its merits. It is felt that; here the tribals of Bhadrachalam are being used as ‘sacrificial goats’ to Polavaram project, to satisfy the political ego of Seemandhra, as a quid pro quo for Telangana State. The BJP government is assisting it, without regard to the merits of the matter.
This amendment by the new government on the specious argument of carrying on previous government’s promise is a political skullduggery. It will not enhance the prestige of Government of India. It will be challenged in the Court of Law. The Project may not materialize in its present design. But the issue is likely to create an unending strife between the two states. Central government has a responsibility to avoid it, without being biased.