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The Hindu

A.P. Congress chief Sharmila urges Centre to stick to the original design of Polavaram project

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y.S. Sharmila on Saturday (May 17) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure justice to the people of the State by adhering to the original design of the Polavaram project. Taking to the social media platform X, Ms. Sharmila pointed out that Mr. Modi was scheduled to review the Polavaram project on May 28, 2025. She said since it was a national project, the responsibility of completing it at the earliest and as per its original design lies with the Centre. 'We do not want Phase-I or Phase-II. The construction must proceed as per the original Detailed Project Report (DPR) with the reservoir height at 45.7 metres,' she said. Ms. Sharmila insisted that the total storage capacity of the project be retained at 194.6 TMC so as to irrigate 3 million acres of agricultural land and supply drinking water to 2.85 million people. She also demanded compensation in full for the remaining 94,000 displaced families under the Relief and Rehabilitation package. Taking strong exception to the reported reduction in the project height from 45.7 metres to 41.15 metres, she said it would reduce the water storage capacity from 194.6 TMC to 119.4 TMC, bringing down the status of a multi-purpose project to that of a barrage. Ms. Sharmila alleged that this was being done to evade the burden of Relief and Rehabilitation package as part of the BJP's conspiracy. She alleged that a gravity-based project was being reduced to a lift irrigation scheme and warnings by experts that if water was stored at a height of 41.15 metres, it cannot naturally flow into the right and left canals were being ignored. The State Congress chief accused the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of showing interest on completion of Banakacherla project instead of the Polavaram. 'The dedication shown in obtaining clearances for the inter-linking project does not reflect in securing full funding for the Polavaram,' she alleged.