While reiterating that the Polavaram project poses no danger to Telangana, Water Resources Minister Ambati Rambabu has blamed the TDP government for the inordinate delay in its construction.
Addressing the media here on Thursday, Mr. Rambabu insisted that the diaphragm wall, on which ₹400 crore had been spent, was damaged because the cofferdam, which should have been built first, was stopped at the foundation stage due to faulty execution. The same was pointed out by the Central Water Commission (CWC), he added.
‘CWC caution ignored’
The CWC had cautioned against closing the cofferdam without completing the spillway, by saying that the water level would otherwise rise up to 35 contour if the river could not be diverted, and it would flood several villages that were yet to be vacated. The construction of neither the cofferdam nor the spillway was finished, he said.
As a consequence, the gaping holes in the incomplete structures damaged the diaphragm wall.
“To what extent it has been damaged and whether a new one is needed to be built parallelly, is being studied by experts, including engineers from the National Hydro Power Corporation,” the Minister said.
Mr. Rambabu said it was after the YSRCP came to power that the Godavari was diverted and 26 lakh cusecs of water could now be released from the spillway, whose completion was also the government’s achievement.
He said the lower cofferdam was submerged due to big scours and maintained that even if water was stored at 45.72 metres, it would cause no harm to Telangana. At the same time, he pointed out that the project clearances were given only after the CWC had done an in-depth study.
The five villages, which wanted to be merged with Telangana, had every right to pass resolutions to that effect, and the Telangana Legislative Assembly could take care of it. The issue had to be sorted out by the Centre, the Minister said.
Mr. Rambabu admitted that the project was indeed delayed, but pointed to TDP government’s role in it. The Union Minister’s comment that the project made little progress because of the A.P. government was being wrongly interpreted as if YSRCP owed the entire responsibility.
‘Centre yet to reimburse bills’
The project’s revised cost of ₹55,000-plus crore was under the Central government’s consideration. It included a huge expenditure of ₹20,000 crore on relief and rehabilitation and land acquisition, he added.
Besides, the Centre was yet to reimburse ₹2,700 crore towards bills settled by the A.P. government.
“Therefore, the project still has many hurdles to cross,” the Minister said, while advising the TDP to refrain from spreading misinformation to achieve its political objectives.
