The fate of the controversial Polavaram project is likely to be decided by the Supreme Court of India which would hear the case on Thursday.
"The Supreme Court will hear the case relating to the Polavaram project on Thursday”, Suresh Mohapatra, secretary (water resources), Orissa government told Business Standard.
It may be noted that the Orissa government had approached the Supreme Court of India on September 4 this year, challenging the Centre's decision to give final environmental clearance for the project.
On October 4, the apex court had asked the Government of India to file its response within a month.
In its suit, Orissa had sought a declaration that Andhra Pradesh had no right or entitlement to undertake or proceed with the Polavaram project on the Godavari river. It has also stated that embankments were not permanent solutions to effectively contain submergence during floods.
Meanwhile, Orissa has gone soft on its demand for the conduct of public hearing for the controversial multipurpose Polavaram project. The state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has of late been unrelenting in his demand for holding public hearings for the project, announced that the state will wait till the apex court gives its verdict on the project.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister had categorically stated that there was no need for conducting public hearings in Orissa and Chhattisgarh, as adequate measures were taken to prevent submergence of villages in the two states.
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Rosaiah's statement had sparked off a war of words between him and Patnaik.
Reacting to Rosaiah's comments, Patnaik had said, “Our concern is that the tribal people, particularly in Malkangiri district do not suffer because of the implementation of the Polavaram project. They (Andhra Pradesh government) may be taking measures to prevent submergence of villages but public hearings must be conducted.”
The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) on November 2, had asked the Andhra Pradesh government to specify the reasons for not holding public hearings for the project in Orissa and Chattisgarh even after one and a half years of issue of the letter of the ministry dated March 9 last year.