Tribal displacement in Telangana for tiger conservation డిసెంబర్ 4, 2015
Posted by M Bharath Bhushan in Adilabad, biodiversity, conflict resolution, displacement, ecology, Mahabubnagar, Naxalite, ST, Telangana, TRS.add a comment
State to facilitate relocation of tribal people
Nikhila Henry, The Hindu, Hyderabad, December 2, 2015
To protect the big cat, the State will relocate hundreds of Adivasis and other forest-dwellers, who reside within core areas in Amarabad and Kawal tiger reserves. As per initial estimates, Adivasis and other forest inhabitants from about 24 village units will have to be relocated.
Telangana has issued orders to constitute State and district committees to facilitate the relocation. The phase-wise process could take more than a year, officials said. The decision to set up conservation councils was as per orders issued by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and in-charge Chief Wildlife Warden, Telangana. The process will be done as per the guidelines of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
As per orders issued by the government, both the district and State-level monitoring committee is expected to meet at least once a year to review the relocation process. (మరింత…)
Farmers suicides are caused by lavish expenditure on weddings, education & loans for borewells, etc- says Telangana govt నవంబర్ 29, 2015
Posted by M Bharath Bhushan in biodiversity, Economy, livelihoods, suicide, Telangana, TRS.Tags: Farmers suicides, TVV
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What drives farmers to suicide? Telangana govt says lavish weddings, expensive education
ABP Live, Our special correspondents and agencies, Sunday, 29 November 2015
Hyderabad: Telangana has told Hyderabad High Court that expenses farmers run up to hold lavish weddings for their daughters and educate their children in expensive private schools were among the many reasons that drove them to suicide.
The state’s claim, which has triggered outrage among activists, came in an affidavit filed in response to petitions by farmers’ groups seeking a direction to the state to take steps to end such suicides.
The activists have termed the government response “fictional” and “irresponsible”. They claimed that attributing such reasons for the deaths of financially distressed farmers “belittled the contribution and sacrifices” of the farming community in general.
They said such a response was “ridiculous” and “misleading” given that over 231 of 443 rural mandals in Telangana had been declared drought-hit and the state had itself sought immediate aid of Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre. Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nizamabad and Rangareddy are among the worst affected districts. (మరింత…)
Odisha opposes Polavaram dam at National Water Resources Council meet డిసెంబర్ 30, 2012
Posted by M Bharath Bhushan in biodiversity, Congress, corruption, ecology, Koya, Polavaram.Tags: dam, displacement
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The Pioneer
Odisha opposes AP irrigation plan at meet
Saturday, 29 December 2012 PNS | Bhubaneswar
The State Government strongly opposed the ongoing controversial multipurpose Polavaram Irrigation Project of Andhra Pradesh at the 6th meeting of the National Water Resources Council held at New Delhi on Friday and accused the Centre of evading its responsibility in resolving the inter-State river dispute and forcing the State to seek recourse in legal remedies.
The Government urged the Centre at the meeting held under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to constitute a task force to examine the problems of flood, drainage congestion and coastal erosion of the State, besides demanding formulation of a comprehensive scheme to look at development of water resources in eastern region, including Odisha in a holistic manner. (మరింత…)
Polavaram project- once again fraudulent contractors for criminal dam డిసెంబర్ 9, 2012
Posted by M Bharath Bhushan in biodiversity, Polavaram.Tags: India Against Corruption, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, UES-Transstroy
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Polavaram bid under a cloud
By Express News Service – HYDERABAD, 8TH December 2012
The Polavaram project contract was back to square Friday with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reportedly informing the state’s Irrigation Department that the Russian company UES – part of the contract-winning consortium led by Transstroy — had submitted fake documents.
Though there was no official confirmation, the MEA observation would mean that the company would be blacklisted.
It may be recalled that after bidders Soma CGG and SEW had quoted high figures for the Rs 4,000 crore Polavaram head works, the state government opened the technical bid of the remaining four companies that had participated in the bidding. As the UES-Transstroy joint venture quoted the lesser rate, the state government almost finalised the tenders for the JV. However, a high-power committee headed by chief secretary Minnie Mathew and irrigation officials developed misgivings about the veracity of the documents submitted by UES-Transstroy and referred the matter to MEA. (మరింత…)
Polavaram tenders, a case of ‘quo pro quid’ ?? నవంబర్ 1, 2012
Posted by M Bharath Bhushan in Andhra, biodiversity, Congress, corruption, Godavari, indigenous, Polavaram, politics, Telangana, TRS.Tags: Congress MP, dam, tender gifts, Transstroy India Limited
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Polavaram tenders, a case of ‘quo pro quid’ ??
by A Saye Sekhar, Frontpageindia.com Oct 31,2012
Transstroy India Ltd was selected for the execution of the massive Polavaram project. The project tenders became controversial twice and the Government had cancelled the tenders following legal intervention. In fact, the tender was given to SEW Infrastructure of CL Rajam, who is Chairman of Namaste Telangana newspaper and a close associate of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao.
When the Government cancelled the earlier ones and called for tenders afresh, Transstroy India Ltd in which Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, has interests, and Soma Constructions came as L1 and L2. After the techno-economic analysis, the Engineer-in-Chief of multi-thousand-crore Polavaram Project awarded the execution order to Transstroy India Ltd, which was asked to submit the project schedule within 15 days. (మరింత…)
Adivasis launch ‘Jala Deeksha’ అక్టోబర్ 21, 2012
Posted by M Bharath Bhushan in Andhra, biodiversity, Congress, corruption, Culture, ecology, Godavari, heritage, Identity, indigenous, Khammam, Koya, Polavaram, ST, struggle, Telangana, YSR.Tags: Chhattisgarh, dam break, deforestation, displacement, involuntary resettlement, Konta, Kunavaram, Motu, Odisha, PAPP, R&R, Sabari, Sileru, Sukma, uphill migration
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Adivasis launch ‘Jala Deeksha’
Staff reporter, The Hindu, Khammam, October 19, 2012
Standing in waist-deep water near Kunavaram, the protesters raise slogans against Polavaram project
Adivasis from areas facing submergence from the Polavaram project on Thursday launched a relay “Jala Deeksha” at the confluence point of the Sabari and the Godavari near Kunavaram.
The Adivasis launched the agitation under the aegis of the “People Against Polavaram Project” (PAPP), an inter-State committee comprising various tribal organisations of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Ordisha. Adivasis from Malkangiri district in Odisha and Sukma district in Chhattisgarh participated in the stir on the first day.
(మరింత…)
Tribals launch Jala Deeksha against Polavaram Dam అక్టోబర్ 20, 2012
Posted by M Bharath Bhushan in Andhrapreneurship, biodiversity, corruption, Culture, Godavari, Identity, indigenous, Polavaram, ST.Tags: Bachawat, dam break, inter river linkage project, Jala Yagnam
2 వ్యాఖ్యలు
Tribals launch Jala Deeksha against Polavaram Dam
– M Bharath Bhushan
Tribals and civil society organizations from Malkangiri (Odisha), Sukma (Chhattisgarh), and Khammam (Andhra Pradesh) launched Jala Deeksha on Thursday 18 October demanding immediate withdrawal of Polavaram project that threatens to adversely affect around four lakh people in Eastern Ghats besides causing irreversible loss to ecology in the region.
The Polavaram project is in violation of several laws. It is most controversial and illegal as it lacks approvals from affected people and the authorities of two neighboring states and Government of India. There is no approval of Grama Sabhas in the submergence region of Orissa and Chattisgarh states where no public hearing has been held (even if dykes and protection bunds are constructed to avoid submergence). It also lacks approvals from Gram Sabhas of hundreds of villages to be submerged in Khammam, East Godavari and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The project lacks Environmental clearance from MoEF for submergence in Orissa and Chattisgarh states (or for dykes/ protection bunds, etc); Clearance from CEA for power component; Clearance for revised costs by the expenditure (Finance) Committee; Approval of Planning Commission Government of India for revised costs; among other clearances from several central authorities.
This is a project which benefits none, but a curse for all.
The project claims to irrigate land that is already irrigated under existing and ongoing projects such as Tatipudi – Pushakara LIS, Yeleru, Chagalanadu LIS, and Torrigedda Pumping Scheme irrigating altogether 520,000 acres out of Polavaram project’s claim of irrigating 720,000 acres in the same region. The duplicate project is being pushed by Government of Andhra Pradesh only to benefit contractors who have already made thousands of crores for duplicate canals adjoining the existing canals downstream.
The dam is likely to cause massive destruction downstream in the event of dam failure/ dam break according to experts – Prof Sivaji Rao and T Hanumantha Rao (Retd Engineer in Chief, Govt of Andhra Pradesh). National Institute of Hydrology estimated that about four million people downstream would be killed in case of dam failure.
(మరింత…)
Transstroy is now the contractor to build disputed Polavaram Dam అక్టోబర్ 18, 2012
Posted by M Bharath Bhushan in Andhra, Andhrapreneurship, biodiversity, Congress, corruption, ecology, Godavari, Khammam, Koya, Polavaram, politics, regionalism, TDP, Telangana, TRS.Tags: Chhattisgarh, CL Rajam, cost escalation, culturicide, CWC, displacement, duplicate ayacut, East Godavari, Gammon India, High Court, illegal dam, Madhucon Projects, Odisha, re-process, SEW, Soma Enterprise, submergence, Transstroy, water wars, West Godavari
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Transstroy to implement Polavaram project
Special Correspondent, The Hindu, Hyderabad, October 18,2012
The consortium of Transstroy-JSC EC UES has finally been selected as the contractor to build the three main components of the Rs. 16,100-crore Polavaram project — rock-fill-cum-earthen dam, spillway and penstocks for 960-MW powerhouse planned as part of the project.
The selection has been made by the State Level Standing Committee (SLSC) headed by C. Muralidhar, engineer-in-chief, Irrigation, and reportedly approved by the High Level Committee which has Chief Secretary (Minnie Mathews) as its chairperson. The SLSC has other engineers-in-chief, the director, Finance, and the chief engineer, Central Designs Organisation, as members. Subject to final approval of the selection by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Transstroy consortium will be awarded the contract for the works. Transstroy-JSC EC UES quoted a price of Rs. 4,054 crore which was 14 per cent less than the IBM (internal bench mark) value fixed by the government at Rs. 4,717 crore. (మరింత…)
Demolish disputed Babli project, we will pay the costs: Sudarshan Reddy, AP Irrigation Minister అక్టోబర్ 18, 2012
Posted by M Bharath Bhushan in Andhra, biodiversity, conflict resolution, Congress, ecology, Economy, Godavari, TDP, Telangana, TRS, violence.Tags: Amarnath K Menon, Babli, criminal dams, Maharashtra, water wars
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Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra lock horns over Babli project on Godavari waters
Amarnath K Menon, India Today, Hyderabad, October 17, 2012
Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, both Congress ruled states, are locked in a bitter battle over the sharing of the Godavari waters and the impounding of the water at the Babli project in Maharashtra. The all party demand in Andhra Pradesh is for the demolition of the Babli project even as the Supreme Court has on Tuesday deferred further hearing on the dispute until November 8.
The execution of the Babli project and the drawing water from its reservoir as well as 11 projects upstream in Maharashtra in violation of the orders of the Central Water Commission would adversely affect the flow of the Godavari waters to irrigate farms in Telangana and turn the region into an arid zone.
“The Maharashtra administration and local farmers are not allowing us even to visit the project,” said the Andhra Pradesh major irrigation minister A. Sudarshan Reddy. Though the Maharashtra claim is that it is only tapping 60 thousand million cubic feet (TMC ft) of water the contention of Andhra Pradesh is that its computation is that the upper riparian state is already drawing 65.35 TMC ft. (మరింత…)
Telangana Utsav Committee 