Polavaram Project height reduced to 135 ft from 150 ft

The height of the Polavaram Irrigation project under the first phase has been set at 135 ft instead of the proposed 150 ft. A decision to this effect was reportedly taken during the recent Union Cabinet meeting.

Officials have clarified that Telangana's land under the project will not be impacted if the height is fixed at 135 ft. They emphasized that appropriate measures will be taken to address issues of flooding in the neighbouring Telugu State only when the height of the project is increased to 150 ft.

Minutes of the Polavaram Project Authority’s (PPA) meeting with irrigation officials from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana held on April 8, included the issue of conducting a joint survey on the impact of the project on Telangana. Officials from AP said they will conduct a survey only on the impact of the Polavaram backwaters on the Kinnerasani River and Munneru Vagu, arguing that there would be no flooding as the height of the project has been reduced.

However, Telangana officials underscored the need for a study to assess the impact of the project on five other streams if water is stored at a full capacity of 150 ft. They pointed out that in such a scenario, 954.15 acres of Telangana would be underwater.

In response, PPA CEO Anil Jain announced that the body will conduct a study on the impact of the project on the other five streams as well in consultation with the Central Water Commission (CWC). Against this backdrop, Jain has also written a letter to the CWC, urging it to conduct a survey on the impact of the Polavaram Project on six streams in Telangana.