Relevance: GS-3: Major crop cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport, and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

Key Phrases: Central Water Commission (CWC), Polavaram Project, Multi-purpose irrigation project, Godavari River, Papikonda National Park, National project status, Probable maximum flood, Backwater effect.

Why in News?

• The inundation of Bhadrachalam town due to recent floods in the Godavari has thrust the Polavaram project into the limelight again.
• The issue has led to a war of words between the two States claiming that the Andhra Pradesh government’s move to increase the height of the project by three meters led to the floods and posed a grave threat to areas upstream in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh asserting that the project had been cleared by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and was being constructed by the Central government with the A.P. government only implementing it.

What is the Polavaram Project?

• The Polavaram Project is a Multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh.
• The project has been accorded national project status by the Union Government of India in 2014.
• It will facilitate an inter-basin water transfer from the Godavari River to the Krishna River through its Right canal.
• Its reservoir spreads in parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha States also.
• The reservoir covers the famous Papikonda National Park.

The necessity of the project:

• Irrigation:
  • The upland areas situated in the districts of East Godavari and Visakhapatnam on the Left flank and upland of West Godavari and Krishna Districts on the right flank have no other sources of dependable supply except the Godavari River.
  • The failure of rains results in frequent drought and distress conditions. It is, therefore, essential to safeguard the irrigation of these areas from a dependable source of supply.
• Power:
  • By Polavaram Irrigation Project, 960 Megawatts of seasonal power during monsoon, and 80 Megawatts of Firm Power can be generated.
• Water Supply:
  • The Port city of Visakhapatnam and its Industrial complex, the Steel Plant, and other auxiliary industries existing and proposed to be set up nearby, the existing outer Harbour, Naval Complex, shipyard, Refinery, etc., requires an abundant and uninterrupted supply of water.
  • The people in the upland areas of Vizag, East Godavari, West Godavari, and Krishna suffer for want of drinking water during the summer months.
• Flood Control:
  • By "Polavaram Irrigation Project", the river can be tamed, flows regulated before the river enters the planes beyond Polavaram and the recurring flood havoc can be mitigated.
• Navigation:
  • The Polavaram Project, in view of the formation of the foreshore lake and the Left Canal designed for Navigation, facilitates cheap and quick transport of forest produce and foodgrains to the marketing centres and various ores and coal to the industries.

What is the issue?

• The Polavaram project has been a bone of contention between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana since the formation of Telangana.
• The then A.P. government succeeded in getting seven mandals of old Khammam district merged with A.P. with the Centre enacting the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in 2014 because these mandals were in the submergence area of the project and the government could take relief and rehabilitation measures when necessary.
• Telangana alleged that the project works were expedited after it was declared a national project in line with the Act and that serious concerns of the riparian States were ignored.

What are the concerns raised by Telangana?

• Need for new studies:
  • The Telangana government has insisted on taking up new studies relating to the impact of the backwaters as well as the environmental impact the project would have on areas upstream.
  • The environmental assessment of the Central government in 2005 had considered 36 lakh cusecs as the probable maximum flood. This was then changed to 50 lakh cusecs, and the CWC asked the A.P. government to design spillways accordingly.
  • The change in the design of spillways to discharge 50 lakh cusecs has compounded the problem.
  • The Telangana government contended that the fundamental principles and assumptions forming the basis of the agreement between Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and then united A.P. on the design and flood operation schedule of Polavaram had been replaced by new parameters and this was a cause of concern.
  • The studies are conducted for 36 lakh cusecs and not for 50 lakh cusecs which can cause heavy submergence and disaster upstream.
  • It said no studies had been carried out for successive floods in the Godavari.
• Missing links in the previous study:
  • The extent of submergence due to design flood and the backwater effect along the Kinnerasani, Sabari, and the Sileru limbs (flowing through Chhattisgarh and Odisha) had not been considered by the CWC by estimating flood contributions from the two tributaries separately in conjunction with simultaneous floods likely to occur in the Godavari.
  • If any inflow of more than 20 lakh cusecs occurs before the recession of the earlier flood, it will have more impact on the backwater level compared to normal flood conditions.
  • Telangana has therefore said it is imperative for central agencies to study the backwater levels with revised probable maximum flood and corresponding backwater levels.
• Old environmental clearance:
  • It contended that the environment clearancegiven by the Union Ministry of Environment on October 25, 2005,was valid and operative only up to October 24, 2010, and so, a fresh assessment was required.

Conclusion:

• As the issue has the potential to snowball into a major controversy between the two Telugu States where governments are focusing on development after overcoming the initial bifurcation hassles, it is time for the Central government to constitute a team of experts to examine the concerns of the riparian States and allay apprehensions.

Source: The Hindu

Mains Question:

Q. Polavaram Project is becoming a bone of contention between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Discuss the issues and suggest a way out.