By: Soonya
The Polavaram issue is again on the boil.
The Andhra media as usual is playing its tricks. Hunting with the hounds and running with the hares, the hares in this case are Telangana people.
Why is not the media and its editors/sub-editors not highlighting the fact that either TRS or other Telangana people are NOT AGAINST POLARAVARAM but are against the CURRENT DESIGN OF POLAVARAM?
Why is this message being lost? Is it a deliberate attempt to show KCR, TRS and Telangana people as selfish, greedy and anti-Andhra and anti-Telugu people?
Think about it my friends from Andhra.
Very clearly Andhra born and reputed engineers like Dr Hanumanth Rao or Prof Shivaji seem to warn about the dangers of Polavaram’s current design. History tells us that even Dr KL Rao a reputed engineer was against the current design, which seems to be based on earlier proposals which were rejected.
We buy cars with ABS, Brake –assist, Seat-belts and Electronic Stability Program if we can afford. We use seat belts and the law demands that we use. WHY?
Is it that we meet with an accident every day? Obviously common sense says that in the case of an accident both the primary restraint (seat belt) and secondary restraints like air bags reduce the injury. We invented the head restraint in cars to prevent whiplash injury. How many people died of whiplash injuries for car manufacturers to introduce the head restraint?
Now those who value human life will think and think nothing of money spent to protect lives. All the above contraptions increase the cost of a car. But the philosophy is that life is more sacred and more valuable than a few chips.
Why would Andhra brothers support such a design, which is fraught with a potential disaster, which can endanger lives of 4 to 5 million people?
Why is it an ego-issue for the TDP and Andhra BJP dispensation and politicians?
Are egos are more important than lives?
Did we forget the Bhopal disaster where an unsafe valve system killed thousands and maimed millions of innocent people? When we demand the arrest of the CEO of Carbide for criminal neglect, is it not a potential crime the politicians of all colors from Andhra who are insisting on this apparently faulty design are committing?
Just because TRS or Telangana people are seeking a DESIGN CHANGE why go for egos?
Right thinking people of Andhra, especially the intelligentsia must let go of egos, emotions and apply their minds and see if there is reason in what the reputed engineers both dead and alive have said or are saying. If there is, one must have the humility to accept the right wisdom even if an apparent enemy shares it.
But Telangana people are no enemies of Andhra’s nor do they consider them to be. Except for asserting their right for self-determination and their self-respect.
Does one cut one’s nose to spite one’s face?
Please do don the thinking cap and engage. We exhort not to lay foundations for Harakiri.
One can compensate the contractor by awarding contract of a more sane and safe design where potential lives, which are put in danger, can be saved. Forests can be saved, Tribal people and their land rights and their life style can be saved. One can save ones face and potential regret in a future date if something horrible happens. And with all such savings, one can save on costs and still DERIVE the benefit of WATER which is going waste into the sea.
Every one knows that Godavari is no ordinary river. Quite unlike the quiet Krishna, which flows gently, and once in a while, shows the fury. Should one take the risk to spite TRS?
The erstwhile CM of AP, Dr. Reddy took a risk by asking higher level water to be stored in the Srisailam dam beyond the safety levels so that he could divert more water to his region. Unexpectedly there were solid rains and unexpected levels water came into Srisailam. Fortunately the structure withstood, if it were washed away there would have been immense misery. However, the rivers Tungabhadra and Handrineeva were in spate and the backwaters submerged Kurnool town and parts of Mahbubnagar were also submerged and many lives were lost and untold misery on the residents of Kurnool where their houses were filled with more than 3 feet of silt and mud.
Are politicians the best folks to decide on safety of structures? Successful politicians suffer from a large ego.
Should our egos guide us, or our wisdom? Please think, nor for today but for posterity.
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Image Courtesy: Down To Earth