Participants of a round-table on Polavaram project conducted by the Forum for Action Research and Policy Analysis (FARPA) on Friday were unanimous that it must be completed as soon as possible, since it received the National project status while those from Godavari districts reiterated their stand that Pattiseema lift irrigation project would harm not only the farmers but the entire area under the Godavari in the two districts.
Convener of FARPA R.V. Rama Rao said that technical discussions were held on the Polavaram, Pattiseema and Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi projects and now the discussion was brought to the round-table.
He felt that the Polavaram project could not be completed by 2019 as claimed by the government and the Centre allotted just Rs. 100 crore this year, while the project cost was Rs. 16,000 crore. PCC chief N. Raghuveera Reddy felt the Centre and State were diluting the project.
He wanted the engineers to clarify some points like if the project could be completed in the stipulated period, whether water would reach Rayalaseema after Pattiseema was completed and if there was a disadvantage to Polavaram due to Pattiseema lift irrigation project.
Former MP of Rajahmundry Vundavalli Arun Kumar wondered why the Chief Minister was not going for BOOT method to complete Polavaram project since it received all permissions.
Former Minister Vatti Vasantha Kumar, YSRC Deputy Leader in Assembly Jyothula Nehru and MLC Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose said the Pattiseema scheme would harm the Godavari delta .
