PPA Says it Vets AFRY’s Designs of Polavaram Project

 Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) has clarified that the agency executing the project has engaged design consultant – AFRY India Private Limited – for preparing designs and drawings of the project. These designs and drawings are vetted by the PPA, the authority said in response to a set of queries regarding the Polavaram project under provisions of Right to Information Act, 2005. Inaganti Ravi Kumar filed the RTI application before the union ministry of Jal Shakti raising several queries, including who approved the nomenclature of phase-1 and 2 of the Polavaram project and the criteria for doing so.

The PPA, in its reply, explained that the AP government held a meeting of the Monitoring Committee on 29-07-2021 to strengthen the monitoring mechanism for the resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) process. It said the R&R works and shifting of project displaced families will be taken up as per contour levels up to 41.15 metres and 45.72 metres respectively. The focus would be on completing R&R up to 41.15 metres.

Later, as per request from AP for inclusion of the water component for reimbursement, the centre examined the proposal. It asked AP to furnish assessment of benefits of the project at minimum drawdown level (MDDL) of 41.15 metres. In the subsequent review meeting held on 10-04-2023, the water resources secretary raised a proposal for getting balance funds till phase-1 of the project, which means impounding of water in the dam up to 41.15 metres. Accordingly, the phase-1 of the project came into practice.