Expressing surprise over the Centre's move to declare the Polavaram project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh a national one, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to refrain from taking any such decision till legal issues were settled.
"I am really shocked and surprised to know from media reports that the Government of India is likely to declare the Polavaram project as a National project. This is inspite of my request not to declare the Polavaram project as a National Project and to stop construction of the project...," Patnaik said in a letter to the Prime Minister.
Stating that the proposed project would submerge parts of Malkangiri district, Patnaik said that since various clearances accorded to it have been challenged in Supreme Court and technical issues which have bearing on submergence were yet to be sorted out, "it is my earnest request not to declare Polavaram project to be a national project."
He said that the construction of the project should be stopped immediately the pending issues were finally settled.
Patnaik said many technical issues like design flood, reservoir operation schedule, adherence to Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal award/BIS codes in the formulation of the Polavaram project which have bearing on backwater effect and the extent of submergence to Odisha were yet to be resolved.
"Without resolving these issues amicably, the areas likely to be affected in Odisha cannot be determined," he said.
Patnaik also referred to the state government filing a suit in the Supreme Court for issuing directions to Andhra Pradesh government not to proceed with the construction of the project and to declare the environment clearance and Ministry of Tribal Affairs clearance given to it as illegal and null and void.
