Change Design of Polavaram Dam- Likely Watery Grave for 460,000 People

 

 Despite repeated objections from Experts, Civil Society, Political Leaders etc. over the present design of the Head Works (Dam) of Polavaram Project, conceived seven decades back, the State Government is going ahead by finalizing tenders for Polavaram Dam, while Govt of India seems to remain a silent spectator.

 

Background of Polavaram Project

 

The Polavaram Project, which is now being implemented with certain modifications, was originally conceived in the composite Madras State, based on the investigations made up to 1941. It was subsequently revised in 1978, 1985, 1996 & again in 2005. The Implementation of the Project with present design of the Dam, involving submergence of vast areas of land particularly Tribal Hamlets & Lands and Forest Area including that of neighboring States, has serious adverse social and environmental impacts.

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Going ahead with the present design of the Dam without even examining the possible viable alternatives to mitigate adverse impacts, undermines the intra-regional equity in the State of A.P, apart from going against the Constitutional Obligations -Articles 48-A & 51-A (g), The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Forest Rights Act, Tribal Consent Act etc. and ignoring the aspirations and the needs of the stake holders, the ground realities, the technological innovations etc. 

 

 Polavaram Project Dam goes against "Precautionary Principle"                                          

 

 According to universally accepted "Precautionary Principle" forming part of  1992 Rio Declaration- if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm  to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that  the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on  those taking the action or policy decision. The decision-makers are required to anticipate harm before it occurs.

 

 According to expert opinion, the proposed Earthen Dam designed for Possible Maximum Flood ( PMF ) of 50 Lakh Cusecs, falls very much short of likely extraordinary flood of 90 Lakh Cusecs. In such an event the Breach (Dam Break) of the Earthen Dam is very much real and not hypothetical. "If there is a possibility for a failure to occur, it would certainly occur sometime or other" 

                                                         

To day's  Policy and  Decision Makers, will be playing with the lives of about 46 Lakh people living in the delta down stream of the Dam,  by opting for Polavaram Earthen  Dam, without giving due consideration to the alternatives being proposed. This is in utter disregard to universally accepted "Precautionary Principle", which is nothing but a Criminal Act on their part.

 

 Objections from Orissa and Chhattisgarh States

 

As long as there are submersions, mostly tribal habitats, in Orissa and Chhattisgarh States, there is no way of getting the consent of these two States, for going ahead with Polavaram Dam project. As a result the project will get bogged down in the courts resulting in undue delays and wasteful expenditure of thousands of Crores of Rupees of tax payers' money, like Vamsadhara Stage II and Jhanjhavathi Projects. The only way out, is to opt for the alternatives to the Dam, which do not cause submersions in these two States. Otherwise the Project will not only be endlessly delayed, but also provides a thriving ground for Left-Wing Extremism, with associated law & order problems and social unrest & hardships.

 

 Environmental Clearance for Polavaram Project was a Mockery

 

A.P. Government is now continuing with the construction of the Project Canals (started in 2005), after obtaining stay orders from A.P. High Court on NEAA Order quashing Environmental Clearance granted by MOEF in 2005.

 

The MoEF accorded Environmental Clearance to the Project proposal on 25-10-2005, even without statuary Forest Clearance and National Wildlife Board Clearance, within 15 days from the date of conducting the so called EPHs (10-10-2005) , 8 days from the date of receiving the proposal from APPCB (17-08-2005) and 6 days from the date of Expert Committee recommending Clearance subject to submission of certain information (19-08-2005). Probably this may be an unusual record for clearing a major project in such a short time, in the history of MOEF.

 

 The Environmental Clearance thus accorded in undue haste by MoEF to Polavaram Project, even before obtaining other statuary clearances required and without Risk Assessment and Disaster Management Plans, has no validity and cannot be treated as Environmental Clearance required as per the norms of EIA Notification.

 

What is more interesting is that Sri.A.Raja, who is alleged to have been deeply involved in 2-G Scam, was the Hon'ble Minister for Environment and Forests , GOI, in 2005 at the time of according Environmental Clearance to Polavaram Project.

 

Need to reconsider Alternative Design for Dam

 

 Instead of requesting the neighboring States for release of waters from their reservoirs, the A.P. State can meet the requirement of water for Agriculture and Drinking purposes for most parts of the State, by maximizing the utilization of Godavari Waters, at present being drained out into Bay of Bengal. This can be achieved at the earliest possible, only by opting for viable alternatives to Polavaram Dam Project, at present being pursued by the State Administration, avoiding submersion of Tribal areas in the States of Orissa and Chhattisgarh and reducing the submersion to the barest minimum in AP State.

 

The alternative design presented by Er. T. Hanumantha Rao, retired E-in-C of AP and an internationally acknowledged expert on irrigation, proposes low barrages at three places (downstream of Bhadrachalam across Godavari,& Sabari and at Polavaram), in place of a Dam & Reservoir at Polavaram, similar to the one existing at Dowleswaram.

 

 The alternative proposal is understood to cost less, while realizing all the benefits of the earlier (Dam) proposal and avoiding submersion of any villages in the neighboring States apart from saving large number of tribal villages with about two Lakh population in A P State. It also makes use of the Canal system and other works under construction at an expenditure of more than Rs 4,000 Crores already incurred..

 

It is requested that the proposal of Er.T.Hanumantha Rao, about which AP Government seem to be having certain reservations about its Technical feasibility and Cost aspects, be reviewed and assessed by an "Independent Team of Experts" to be appointed by Got of India, to facilitate  its early consideration / implementation.       

 

Conclusion

 

If we do not learn to move forward in harmony with Nature by observing the principles of Sustainable Development & Precautionary Approach, "the worst large scale destruction can be caused by man-made activities-Nuclear Power Plants and Major Dams".

 

The Nuclear Power& Major Dams are not just the Evils and they are the Devils. Evil of our own making can be overcome. The Devil cannot be overcome, not even if we ourselves conjure him into being. This is why; staking our future on Nuclear Power/ Major Dams is a Pact with the Devil, impacting the generations far into the future. 

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