Inter-state row: Telangana blames Polavaram for Godavari floods

Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Tuesday blamed Polavaram project under construction in Andhra Pradesh for recent floods in Godavari, triggering a new inter-state row.

Transport minister P. Ajay Kumar said on Tuesday that there was negligence in releasing water from Polavaram which led to floods at Bhadrachalam, inundating parts of the town and several villages along the course of the river in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

The minister demanded that Andhra Pradesh government reduce the height of Polavaram dam to avoid floods at Bhadrachalam due to backwaters.

He said Telangana had been demanding the neighbouring state to reduce the height of Polavaram.

Several public representatives in Bhadradri Kothagudem district also made the demand and blamed Polavaram project for the floods.

Following heavy rains in catchment areas and massive inflows from upstream resulted in the flood level at Bhadrachalam last week crossing 71 feet, the highest in more than three decades.

About 25,000 people from flood-hit areas were evacuated to relief camps.

The demand by Telangana minister came a couple of days after Andhra Pradesh raised height of the upper coffer dam of Polavaram by one metre.

The implementing agency, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL), took up the works to increase the height on July 15 and completed it in 48 hours.

With officials estimating that the project could receive inflows of 26 lakh cusecs to 30 lakh cusecs, Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had approved a proposal to raise the cofferdam’s height.

The upper cofferdam was built to withstand 28 lakh cusecs of floodwater. In case of heavy inflows, water could overflow the structure.

Andhra Pradesh government had already decided to increase the height of Polavaram coffer dam from 40.5 meters to 43.5 meters.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has already ruled out reducing the height of Polavaram from approved height.

Minister Ajay Kumar also demanded that the Centre return seven mandals (blocks) to Telangana which were merged with Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

He also demanded that at least five villages near Bhadrachalam be merged with Telangana and a Bill in this regard be passed in the ongoing Parliament session.

The demands by Telangana are likely to trigger new row between the two states.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had lodged strong protest with the Centre after it issued an ordinance to merge seven mandals of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh. This was apparently done to avoid any inter-state disputes as several villages in these mandals are likely to be submerged by Polavaram project.

The Telangana government termed the move unilateral and has been demanding the Centre to revoke it.

Since Polavaram is a national project, the Centre should take the initiative to reduce its height.

He said the original design of Polavaram was changed to increase its height by three meters.

MLA Sandra Venkat Veeraiah said that for a permanent solution to the problem of floods, cooperation of Andhra Pradesh government is required.

He said if Polavaram project’s height is not reduced, this will lead to sumergence of tribal villages.