BJD Delegation Travels to Delhi to Address Concerns Over Polavaram Project's Impact on Odisha

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has expressed strong opposition to the redesign of the Polavaram multi-purpose project in Andhra Pradesh. On Monday, the party announced plans to escalate the issue to Delhi. A delegation from Odisha will travel to Delhi on Tuesday to meet with senior officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Central Water Commission, and Ministry of Tribal Affairs. They intend to submit memoranda detailing the negative effects of the Polavaram project on Odisha.

BJD coordination committee chairperson Debi Prasad Mishra stated that seven Rajya Sabha MPs from the party will accompany the delegation in Delhi. Mishra highlighted that party president Naveen Patnaik had previously formed a fact-finding committee comprising senior leaders to assess the Polavaram dam's impact. This committee visited affected areas and submitted their findings to Patnaik.

Impact on Malkangiri District

The fact-finding committee reported that the project would negatively affect residents in Malkangiri district. Mishra noted that approximately 200 villages in Motu and Padi blocks are at risk of being submerged. He recalled that in 2007, the Odisha government approached the Supreme Court, arguing that an impact assessment study was not conducted before Andhra Pradesh proceeded with the project.

Mishra mentioned that in 2022, the Supreme Court instructed the Centre to organise meetings between Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. However, these meetings have yet to occur. Besides pursuing legal action, BJD aims to bring attention to this issue in Delhi.

Concerns Over Design Changes

During a press conference, Mishra questioned how the Centre could permit a project that threatens 200 tribal villages with inundation. He criticised Andhra Pradesh for unilaterally altering the dam's design despite its detrimental effects on Odisha. Initially, the dam's water capacity was set at 36 lakh cusecs but was later increased to 50 lakh cusecs.

This increase means that backwater from the project will flood around 200 villages along with significant forest and revenue land in Malkangiri district. Mishra attributed this situation to the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, which allocated Rs 15,000 crore in its budget for completing the contentious Polavaram project.

The BJD remains committed to addressing these concerns and ensuring that Odisha's interests are safeguarded against any adverse impacts from this project.