Rethinking an ambitious project – The Hindu

THe andhra Pradesh government, 81,900 Crore Polavaram Banakacherla link project, which aims to transfer excess water from the Godavari River to Banakacherla in the Rayalaseema region, which is prone to drought, is Limbo. The Andhra Pradesh State reorganization law of TaLangana is a controversial project for claiming that it has violated the provisions of 2014.

Last week, the expert valuation committee rejected the reference conditions for the project to carry out environmental impact assessment and environmental management plan. The Committee argued that the Godavari Water Dispute Court should first be examined and consulted the Central Water Commission (CWC) before any environmental approval. The government has not yet commented on this decision. A political dialogue may be required among the chief ministers of AP and TaLangana to move the project forward.

Although the Bold project seems to be a solution to rayalaseema’s acute water scarcity, a disturbing question lies behind the great ambition. Is the state mortgage for a project that can never be economically implemented or ecologically intact?

On paper, the project is an engineering wonder. However, the scale requires examination, especially when weighed against energy costs, environmental footprint and legal uncertainties. The project estimation will require a power of 3.377 MW. This is an amazing demand for a financial stressful state. Authorities point out that the plan will produce approximately 430 MW at the end of the plan; This is almost part of what needs to work.

The environmental footprint of the project is worrying. The 19.5 -kilometer main tunnel will cut the ecologically sensitive nallamala forest and Tiger Reseerve. A total of 17,739 acres of forest land is recommended for use.

In addition, while there are alternatives fed by gravity, it is unclear why the state chooses an intensive solution. The Krishna River offers a natural gradient, especially the Srisailam reservoir, the rayalaseema with a significantly less financial and environmental cost. Gravity-based projects such as Galeu-Nagari designed for this purpose decades ago have not ended.

The project is recommended under the Hybrid annual income model that combines central grants, state equality, loans and special investment. Jalaharathi Corporation, a special purpose vehicle, was established to carry out this. The financing model foresees ₹ 40,950 Crore in loans, 16,380 crore in central grants, 8,190 crore in the state self -equity and 16,380 Crore through private investment.

Unusually, the responsibility of taking critical gaps from various ministries and CWC is given to the contractors.

Even if finance and power needs are managed in some way, the project depends on the assumption that more than Godavari floods flowing into the sea. But this is not confirmed. As mentioned earlier, committee reference conditions were allowed. Without cleaning from CWC, the central financing is uncertain.

TaLangana’s Kaleshwaram elevator irrigation project constitutes a stimulating precedent. The CWC refused to approve a plug -in component after determining that water existence projections are exaggerated. The proposal of the EP government may face a similar resistance in the absence of an official agreement on sharing excess Godavari streams.

Tahangana, Krishna and Godavari rivers in all new projects in the river board of directors of the EP reorganization law, which required to take gaps from 2014 made objections. However, the EP argues that this is an intra -state project that uses flood waters for the sea. It is a legal gray region that can lead to the case for years.

In recent years, the EP has usually determined their interests. The center supported Karnataka’s top Bhadra project just before the elections. In TaLangana, Krishna just before the elections arranged the reference conditions for water allocation. When he returns to his floor in the TDP, speculation that Godavari-Banakacherla project can become a political bargaining chip. Rayalaseema’s long -term water safety should not be reduced to Delhi’s short -term arithmetic. At the same time, the development in Rayalaseema should be achieved by projects based on sustainable, legally defenseable and hydrological facts.