A view of Polavaram challenge, which is below development throughout the Godavari river.
| Picture Credit score: KVS GIRI
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has asserted that the Union authorities was dedicated to financing and early completion of the Polavaram Irrigation Undertaking in Andhra Pradesh.
Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned this in her finances speech on July 23 (Tuesday).
“Our authorities is totally dedicated to financing and early completion of the Polavaram Irrigation Undertaking, which is the lifeline for Andhra Pradesh and its farmers. This may facilitate our nation’s meals safety as effectively,” she mentioned within the Lok Sabha. There was, nevertheless, no particular point out of funds being allotted for the challenge.
The announcement has given recent hopes for the individuals of Andhra Pradesh as the way forward for the challenge hangs in steadiness as a result of damages it suffered in 2019-20 on account of floods.
A.P.’s request to CWC
In the meantime, Andhra Pradesh Water Assets Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu urged the Central Water Fee (CWC) to accord permission for designs with out compromising security. He met CWC Chairman Kushvinder Vohra at New Dehi on Tuesday.
Stressing the necessity to full the challenge on the earliest, Mr. Ramanaidu mentioned {that a} lack of ₹10,000 crore every year must be borne in case the challenge was delayed. An estimated ₹3,000 crore loss in the direction of stabilisation of ayacut, ₹3,000 crore in the direction of delay in vitality era, ₹2,000 crore crop loss within the Godavari districts on account of floods, and ₹2,000 crore value escalation every year would take the whole loss arising out of the challenge delay to about ₹10,000 crore every year. The overall loss within the subsequent 5 years can be ₹50,000 crore, he mentioned.
Responding to his request, Mr. Vohra mentioned that the Union authorities prioritised the Polavaram challenge. The designs can be authorized with none delay.
In response to data, the expenditure incurred on the challenge after its declaration as a nationwide challenge was ₹16,761.74 crore. The overall funds launched to the State authorities via the Polavaram Undertaking Authority until date was ₹15,146 crore.
The Union authorities has to reimburse ₹1,615.47 crore, for the expenditure which was already incurred by the A.P. authorities after the declaration of the challenge as a nationwide challenge.
Investigation
It was noticed that there was an extra seepage from the cofferdam. The geotechnical investigation of the upstream cofferdam is in progress. Based mostly on the investigation experiences, remedial measures shall be taken up as steered by the worldwide skilled design marketing consultant M/s AFRY India Pvt. Ltd., Noida (headquartered at Sweden). The marketing consultant was beneficial by the Central Water Fee (CWC) to review the damages and recommend a approach out.
Not too long ago, an skilled from the usA. and one other from Canada, who had been engaged by the Polavaram Undertaking Authority (PPA) to evaluation planning, designs and drawings submitted by the executing company (Water Assets Division, Andhra Pradesh), visited the challenge website.
