An alternative design for the Polavaram project submitted by noted engineer and UN Consultant, T. Hanumantha Rao is not feasible both technically and economically.
The State Government had examined the proposal by the former Engineer-in-Chief of Andhra Pradesh and come to the conclusion, said the Union Minister for Water Resources, Harish Rawat in a reply in the Rajya Sabha today to a written question.
As per information from the State Government, some Telangana leaders represented the case related with the alternative design. The proposal suggesting taking up a series of barrages on the Godavari river was also received in the Ministry of Water Resources through P. Goverdhan Reddy, MP in December 2009, he said in the reply.
The series of barrages, one below the other all along the river is termed as ‘Step Ladder Technology’, by Hanumantha Rao. The proposal was examined by the Central Water Commission and the main observations it made were:
Barrages are diversion structure for providing limited storage capacity during the time when water is available in the river. It cannot fully meet water requirements during non-monsoon period for rabi irrigation and other purposes. The command area under existing lift schemes is getting irrigation in kharif only.
The Andhra Pradesh Government has taken up the Polavaram project to provide irrigation supplies for rabi and perennial crops as well, the Minister said.
The long-pending multi-billion dollar, Indira Sagar Polavaram project, was in the limelight, with the Congress (I), led UPA and allies announcing the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and giving it a national project stature with promise of financial support.
With a gross storage of 195 tmc ft, the project is to irrigate 24 lakh acres, link the Krishna and Godavari river systems, provide drinking water to over 500 villages, provide water for industrial use in Vizag, and generate 960 MW of electricity. The project has been caught up in legal issues and inter-State problem.