The Hindu : Farmers to pressure Govt. on Pulichintala, Polavaram

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Farmers to pressure Govt. on Pulichintala, Polavaram

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA SEPT. 24. The Polavaram Project Sadhana Samiti (PPSS) will mobilise farmers to bring pressure on the State Government to take up immediately the Pulichintala and Polavaram projects to safeguard their interests in Krishna district.

The district president, Pilla Venkateswara Rao, vice-presidents, Vadrevu Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy and Chintala Kantha Rao, in a statement here said the samiti would organise tours to enlighten the farmers about the drastic changes that had come over in the coastal districts, particularly the Krishna delta, in the recent years. While about 1,500 tmcft of Godavari waters were flowing into the Bay of Bengal every year, there was no water in Krishna because of over-exploitation in the upper reaches.

They said with the construction of the Polavaram project, 80 tmcft of water could be diverted to the Krishna for stabilising the Krishna delta.

He said the PPSS had given representations to the Prime Minister, the Central Water Commission and the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in this direction.

The Central Government has added the Polavaram project to the list of national projects which have been pending with it. The State Government wanted the project be treated as a national project so that it could skip paying the matching grant. It was not very keen about taking up the project before the next river water distribution tribunal submits its award. If 80 tmcft of Godavari water was diverted into the Krishna river, the tribunal would have to compensate for the gain and the State would lose its riparian rights over 40 tmcft of Krishna water.

They said the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, had recently brought up the demand for the Ganga-Kaveri river grid to ensure that there was no drought in the country. The estimated cost for taking up the river grid was huge and the country was not in a position to take it up. It would be better if he used his influence with both the Central Government and financial institutions like the World Bank to construct the project which was given environmental clearance several years ago.

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Farmers to pressure Govt. on Pulichintala, Polavaram