Expressing concern over possible displacement of around 45,000 people, including tribal population, and inundation of several villages in the State due to construction of Polavaram dam, MlA Amit Jogi and other members of the Chhattisgarh Assembly on Thursday attempted to corner Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Brijmohan Agrawal during ‘Call Attention Motion’.
Raising the issue, Jogi said after formation of Telangana, Polavaram project has been declared as a national project. Construction of ‘cut-off wall’ and ‘diaphragm’ on Polavaram project is going to be start within a week and 30 percent work will complete during the next six months.
He further added that due to Polavaram dam, as many as 45000 people including tribal population, of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and others will have to face the situation of displacement.
At least 17 villages and 85 hamlets of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district would come under inundated zone. Moreover, expensive mineral resources, forests and agriculture land will submerge due to the project.
The project is going to result in migration of protected Dorla and Koya tribes, said Jogi and further added that besides, culture and civilization, their existence would also come under threat. Back waters of river Sabri will hit entire Sukma district, said Jogi, elaborating that like 1986 and 2006, back waters of river Sabri will bring devastation in three blocks of the district including Sukma, Konta and Chindgarh.
In his reply, Minister Brijmohan Agrawal said that the Indirasagar Polavaram Project has been declared as a National Project. It is incorrect that construction of ‘cut-off wall’ and diaphragm wall will begin within one week and in next six months work will be completed.
As per the map provided by Government of Andhra Pradesh and as per survey conducted through remote sensing survey map, there is possibility that 13 villages in Chhattisgarh will be affected while 2272 hectares revenue land and 201 hectares forest land in Sukma and Konta will come under submergence, he said. Agrawal further said that actual situation in this regard will be known only after completion of field survey, social survey and DGPS, etc. The State government is undertaking the process pertaining to surveys.
As per agreements signed in 1978 and 1980, the water level has been kept 150 feet in the dam. But in case of heavy rainfall the average figures taken in last 500 years, it is estimated that the maximum submergence level might reach to 177.44 feet due to effect of backwaters in Konta, Agrawal said.