Posted by Telangana Utsav in Bhadrachalam, corruption, Culture, Koya, livelihoods, Polavaram, politics.
Tags: CWC, Jairam Ramesh, Konta, MoEF, Motu, Odisha
Jairam’s ministry after Polavaram project now
The Economic Times, 2 November 2010
NEW DELHI: The environment ministry has sought an explanation from the Andhra Pradesh government for beginning work on the on the Polavaram irrigation project without complete environmental clearance. The ministry has asked Andhra why a public hearing on the project has not been held despite repeated reminders stretching over a year-and-a-half. The notice asks the state government to explain why a formal show-cause should not be issued.
The Polavaram irrigation project was given environmental clearance in October 2005. The project was subsequently referred to the ministry by the Central Water Commission in January, 2009, before it was taken up for consideration by the technical committee of the commission.
At that time, the proposal included construction of bunds and embankments on River Saberi and River Sileru to avoid submergence in Orissa and Chhattisgarh. The embankments were not part of the proposal cleared by the appraisal committee of the environment ministry. As a result, the expert appraisal committee took up the amended proposal for consideration in February, 2009. (మరింత…)
Posted by Telangana Utsav in Andhra, Bhadrachalam, conflict resolution, corruption, Culture, Economy, Godavari, Gond, heritage, Khammam, Koya, livelihoods, Polavaram, politics, ST, Vishakapatnam.
Tags: Chattisgarh, CWC, dam safety, Eastern Ghats, Ecology, embankment, MEOF, MOTA, Odisha, Orissa, Sabari, Sileru
Polavaram: A disaster on card
Orissadiary.com, September 30, 2010
By Kishor Dash
The Multi-Purpose Indira Sagar Polavaram project, is still not rid of its troubles. While Andhra Pradesh government could manage to get all necessary clearances for its much ambitious Rs 17,500-crore, project and an assurance from the UPA Government at the centre that it would be recognized as a national project, it continues to be hit one roadblock or the other.
The latest in the series comes Odisha government’s fresh application filed in the Apex court seeking the quashing of the clearance granted by the Environment Ministry to controversial Polavaram project on the ground that it would affect the lives of thousands of people in its state due to the massive embankment being constructed by Andhra Pradesh. The matter would be taken up by the Supreme Court on October 4. Earlier, the state government has already filed a suit before the apex court challenging the construction of the multi-crore Polavaram project which it fears would inundate several parts in the Malkangiri district of the state.
Polavaram is a disaster on many counts, ecologically and politically for Odisha, and the Koyas and the Konda Reddis are the latest sacrificial lambs to the temples of modern India. For Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, the probity of the crusade unleashed by the ministry in the past few months hinges on the Polavaram decision. The Koyas and the Konda Reddis are besieged by questions of all kinds — land, livelihood, culture — but the Vedanta rejection has given way to a glimmer of hope. The Naveen Pattnaik government in Odisha says 28 villages in Motu tehsil, nine of them dominated by Koya tribes, will be submerged in Malkangiri district. “A population of 20,000 is going to be affected, which includes Scheduled Tribes and Primitive Tribes. As per the estimates of the state government, the project was likely to submerge 2119.38 hectares of land in Naxalite-affected tribal areas of Malkangiri district. (మరింత…)
Posted by Telangana Utsav in Bhadrachalam, corruption, displacement, Economy, Godavari, Identity, Koya, landuse, livelihoods, Polavaram, politics, ST, Vishakapatnam.
Tags: barrage, Chattisgarh, CWC, dam safety, devastation, Eastern Ghats, FC Act, floods, Krishna, MOTA, NFAPD, Odisha, R&R
Centre urged to restrain AP from going ahead with Polavaram
The Hindu, Special Correspondent
NFAPD activists say construction of embankment unviable
* The project will affect people in 19 villages of Chhattisgarh and Motu area of Orissa
* NFAPD meeting adopts resolution seeking re-examination of the project
VISAKHAPATNAM: Several social activists and environmentalists on Tuesday appealed to the Centre to restrain AP from going ahead with work on controversial Polavaram Indira Sagar project till the objections raised by Orissa and Chhattisgarh were addressed to.
At a meeting held here under the aegis of National Forum Against Polavaram Dam (NFAPD), the activists adopted a resolution asking the Central authorities to immediately stop work on Polavaram as it lacked consent of affected communities in Orissa and Chattisgarh.
The resolution vehemently opposed the claim that the construction of an embankment with a height of 40 feet stretching over 30 km would prevent submergence and displacement in Orissa and Chattisgarh.
Stating that the proposed embankment was unviable, they claimed that the project was bound to affect people in 19 villages of Kunta district of Chhattisgarh and an estimated 30,000 in Motu area of Orissa’s Malkangiri district.
Petition
A petition filed by Orissa against the project will come up for hearing in Supreme Court on October 4. The resolution stated that the project should be re-examined as the clearances for land acquisition, forest rights and rehabilitation and resettlement approved in AP were not acceptable in Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
Participants included retired Chief Engineer from AP M. Dharma Rao, environmentalist T. Sivaji Rao, chairman of South Odisha Development Council Dayanidhi Sahu, engineer Lalita Mohan Pattnaik, former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University K.V. Ramana, MLA from Burgampahad Chanda Lingayya Dora and Panchanan Mishra from Bolangir, Odisha. (మరింత…)
Posted by Telangana Utsav in Andhrapreneurship, Congress, Economy, Polavaram, politics, YSR.
Tags: contracts, CWC, EPC, irrigation, jalayagnam, PMO, scamyagnam
Irrigation projects in Andhra under PMO scanner
PMO has sought details of the EPC contracts awarded by the AP irrigation department, spelling potential trouble for the projects undertaken in the past five years
C.R. Sukumar
livemint.com Feb 28, 2010
Hyderabad: Irrigation projects in Andhra Pradesh (AP) involving a combined outlay of Rs 1.8 trillion have come under the scrutiny of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) following corruption charges by opposition parties in the southern state.
PMO has sought details of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts awarded by the AP irrigation department, spelling potential trouble for the projects undertaken in the past five years.
Channeling funds: A file photo of the Polavaram irrigation project under way at Khammam and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh. Bharath Sai / Mint
The Central Water Commission (CWC) wrote to the department asking for the details, which it said had been sought by PMO. A copy of the letter was reviewed by Mint. An official in the AP irrigation department confirmed that it had received the letter.
Officials at the PMO couldn’t be contacted for comment on Sunday. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is on a visit to Saudi Arabia.
The Congress-led state government has taken up 86 major and medium irrigation projects since 2004-05 under its Jalayagnam (water worship) programme. Only four major and eight medium irrigation projects have been completed, with the remaining 74 still in different stages of development. (మరింత…)
Telangana Utsav Committee 