Indira Sagar (Polavaram) Project, Andhra Pradesh

Background on Polavaram (Interstate Agreement)

Indira Sagar Polavaram, an interstate project on the Godavari river has been conceptualized as a part of the recommendations of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT). The GWDT finalized this award in 1980. The award identifies projects that can be undertaken by the co-basin states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh (including Chhattisgarh), Orissa, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Pradesh) on the main Godavari river and its tributaries. As a part of this award, the States of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa entered into an agreement on 02.04.1980 to allow the Polavaram project to be taken up by Andhra Pradesh. The agreement provides for the construction of the project with a spillway discharge capacity of 3.6 million cusecs at full reservoir level of 150 feet and 140 feet reservoir level, not less than 2 million cusecs at 130 feet reservoir level. To protect land and property above 150 feet level in Orissa and Chhattisgarh, provision has been made for protective dams with adequate water flow at the cost of the same project. The relevant provision of this Agreement is set out below.

“The Polavaram Project spillway will be designed for a flood flow capacity of 36 lakh cusecs at 140 feet pond level and 20 lakh cusecs at 130 feet pond level.

To protect the land and property above 150 feet in the area likely to be affected due to the construction of Polavaram project in Orissa, a protective dam with adequate water flow will be constructed and repaired at the cost of the Polavaram project. However, the State of Orissa may exercise an option at the time of construction of the Polavaram Project for compensation for land and property affected beyond 150 feet as agreed in the case of the State of Madhya Pradesh (now Chhattisgarh).

In Madhya Pradesh (now Chhattisgarh) area for damage caused to land above 150 feet elevation, in any case the State of Andhra Pradesh shall be reimbursed in full for such damage as assessed by the Collector of the said district of the State of Madhya Pradesh (now Chhattisgarh) will provide compensation.

The matter of design of this dam and its operational schedule will be left to the Central Water Commission to decide as far as practicable in the light of all the agreements between the various parties including the agreement entered into on 2nd April, 1980.”

Project in brief

The Indira Sagar (Polavaram) project is located on the Godavari river near Rammayyapet in Polavaram mandal of West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. The project is a multi-purpose major terminal reservoir project on river Godavari for irrigation, developing hydropower and providing drinking water facilities to East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh. The project will provide irrigation facilities to 2.91 lakh hectares (CCA) and have an installed capacity of 960 MW and will provide 23.44 TMC (663.7 MCM) of drinking water and industrial water supply to Visakhapatnam city and steel plant and 80 TMC water diversion to Krishna river. The tentative irrigation potential of the project will be 4.368 lakh ha and the annual power generation will be 2369.43 million units. In addition, 540 villages in the command area will be provided with drinking water facilities.

In this project, Godavari-Krishna inter-linking will be implemented under the inter-linking of rivers project. The project envisages transfer of 80 TMC of surplus water of Godavari river to Krishna river to be shared between Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra in the ratio of 45 TMC by Andhra Pradesh and 35 TMC by the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra as per GWDT award. There will be division.

Assessment Status

The project proposal of Indira Sagar (Polavaram) Project was considered and accepted by the Consultative Committee of Ministry of Water Resources in its meeting held on 20.1.2009 for SOR 2005-06 for Rs.10151.04 crore.

Investment permission was granted and accepted vide Planning Commission’s letter No. 2(168)/2004-WR dated February 25, 2009.

Subsequently, the Project Authority has submitted the Revised Cost Estimate of Polavaram Project on 30.08.2010. This has been examined and finalized for the revised cost of SOR 2010-11 at Rs.16010.45 crore. In the 108th meeting of the Consultative Committee of Ministry of Water Resources held on 04.01.2011, the revised cost estimate of Polavaram project of Rs.16010.45 crore was accepted. Investment clearance from Planning Commission is awaited. The Planning Commission, vide its letter No. 25(11)/NP/S/2009-WR dated 20.6.2012, addressed to the Director, Prime Minister’s Office, has informed that the Planning Commission, before taking any action, will It has been decided to wait for the orders of the case filed in the Supreme Court by the Government of Orissa against the same as the matter is sub-judice.

Alternative Design Proposal

Proposal to build a chain of dams on Godavari River prepared by Shri T. Hanumantha Rao, Former Chief Engineer of Andhra Pradesh and UN Consultant, Hon’ble Parliament in December, 2009