BJD Team Engages with Union Jal Shakti Minister, Calls for Suspension of Polavaram Project
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Bhubaneswar, December 3 (NationPress) A team representing the Opposition Biju Janata Dal convened with Union Minister of Jal Shakti C. R. Patil in New Delhi on Tuesday, expressing serious concerns about the multipurpose Polavaram Project located in Andhra Pradesh.
The team was headed by esteemed BJD leader Debi Mishra and included BJD MPs from the Rajya Sabha, state MLAs, former Odisha government ministers, as well as past MPs and MLAs from the Malkangiri and Koraput regions.
During the meeting, the delegation submitted a memorandum highlighting the potential flooding risks in large swathes of Malkangiri district due to the ongoing construction of the Polavaram Project in the adjacent state of Andhra Pradesh. They urged that the project be halted until all state concerns are adequately addressed.
“The ramifications of this project for the lives and livelihoods of countless tribal individuals, particularly from vulnerable and primitive tribes in Malkangiri, necessitate immediate attention and corrective measures,” the party stated in a release on Tuesday.
The team expressed disapproval regarding the recent approval of ₹15,000 crore by the central government aimed at accelerating the completion of the Polavaram Project. They contended that the revised design of the project could have catastrophic effects on local land, livelihoods, and the safety of the predominantly tribal communities.
According to the statement, the Polavaram project was initiated under the directive of the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT), which established agreements among Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh.
“Significant alterations have been made to the foundational design flood discharge capacity, raising the flood discharge from 36 lakh cusecs to 50 lakh cusecs, without adequate consideration of the backwater effects on the upstream states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh,” claimed the BJD.
The party also asserted that the residents of Malkangiri are apprehensive about losing their homes and land due to the modifications in the original project design.
Importantly, a 'fact-finding' team from the BJD, led by former minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, visited Motu and Padia tehsils of Malkangiri district in August to evaluate the potential impact of the project firsthand.
The findings suggested that the inhabitants of the 236 villages in these two blocks are under a severe threat to their lives, livelihoods, and cultural heritage due to the possible inundation caused by the project.
