Strongly refuting Centre’s objections over Bankacharla project, the AP water resources department is ready to explain that the Polavaram- Banakacharla interlinking project does not include the issue of taking Godavari waters and merging them with the Krishna river.
Sending back the Banakacharla proposal made by the state government, the Jal Shakti department has prepared a comprehensive report with ‘WAPCOS’ on the objections raised by other organizations. WAPCOS submitted this report to the water resources department a few days ago.
Comprehensively examining this report and the questions raised by central organizations, a comprehensive report is being prepared to answer each question. It has decided to submit the report to the center on Monday or Tuesday.
Moreover, AP wants to make it clear that there is no connection between the Polavaram project and the Polavaram-Banakacharla linkage scheme. This explanation has been prepared in view of the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) saying that Banakacharla will be allowed only after Polavaram is completed.
Based on 15 years of data taken downstream of Polavaram during the monsoon and when Godavari floods, AP will inform along with statistics that 2,842 TMC is flood water. Under 75 percent net water, 932 TMCs will be available in Kaleshwaram G-0, 737 TMCs in Indravati G-11, 231 TMCs in Lower Godavari G-10, 383 TMCs in G-12 up to Sabari and a total of 2,194 TMCs of water will be available.
If Godavari waters merge with Krishna river, subject to the verdict of Godavari Dispute Tribunal, Karnataka and Maharashtra will have to give a joint AP share in Krishna waters, the Central Forest and Environment Department, along with the Polavaram Authority and the Godavari River Management Company, have stated.
However, the AP has expressed strong objection to this. In the Banakacharla scheme, it will be clarified that instead of Godavari waters flowing into the Krishna river, an aqueduct will be constructed on the Sagar right canal and then it will be diverted to the Bollapalli reservoir and then to the Banakacharla regulator.
It has been decided to clarify that since Godavari waters are flowing to the Penna basin, there will be no opportunity for the confluence of Krishna-Godavari waters, and therefore there is no need to give a share of Krishna river waters to neighboring states.
Similarly, it will be stated that there is flood water in Godavari in excess of 75 percent of the net water consumption. Therefore, it is explained that it is planned to divert 200 TMC from Polavaram to Banakacharla for 100 days at the rate of 2 TMC per day.
At the time of submitting the DPR, 40 years of statistics regarding hydrology methodology will have to be submitted. Since only the pre-feasibility report has been submitted at present, 15-year calculations have been included in the report prepared by WAPCOS.
AP also clarified that the PPA will only be responsible for the supervision of the construction of Polavaram and that the PPA will not have any powers beyond that.
