Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, July 6: The state government has urged the Centre to direct the Andhra Pradesh government to provide all information at the earliest to Orissa about its latest detailed project report (DPR) on the controversial Polavaram dam.
State water resources secretary PK Jena, in a letter to the special secretary in the ministry of river development, Amarjeet Singh, July 4 has said that after the joint committee meeting held June 2, 2016, at New Delhi, the state is yet to receive the latest DPR report of the Andhra Pradesh government submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) for the Polavaram project.
Orissa had during the meeting expressed concern about the non-sharing of the latest DPR of Polavaram project submitted to the CWC, Jena said.
Accordingly “the Andhra Pradesh government was advised by the chairman of the committee to provide the same in complete shape comprising all the volumes to the Orissa government immediately,” he pointed out
“In the meeting, Andhra government had also assured that it would provide the configuration of protective embankments with their design, details, and the details submergence along with the land to be acquired in Orissa and their classification,” Jena said.
“The Andhra Pradesh government has not provided the documents or informations so far to Orissa government,” he wrote. “This shows the keenness of the Andhra Pradesh government in resolving Polavaram issue,” he said.
Jena requested the ministry to direct the Andhra Pradesh government to provide all the documents and information related to the Polavaram project to Orissa at the earliest.
The controversial project has been opposed by the state government, which has dubbed it as an ‘anti-Orissa’ project. The ruling Biu Janata Dal (BJD), which is demanding an immediate halt to the construction work of the Polavaram dam, has said that the project work taken up by the Andhra Pradesh government is illegal as the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court.
A total of 25 habitations, including 15 revenue villages and 10 hamlets, will be submerged, 7,656 hectares of land will be inundated and 6,818 persons, including 5,916 tribals, will be displaced if the project height is increased, the state government said.
