Pattiseema - Polavaram canal - Problems

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Pattiseema Scheme Faces Canal Glitch

VIJAYAWADA: The Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (PLIS), in all likelihood,  will be completed within the stipulated period of one year. However, it is unlikely that its objective is fulfilled in the near future, not withstanding the tall claims by the government to the contrary.

The reason: Polavaram Right Canal is yet to be constructed in five reaches in West Godavari and Krishna districts on a stretch of 43 km. Unless this part of canal is in place, there is no way the proposed 80 tmcft water could reach Prakasam Barrage to irrigate lands in Krishna delta.

Recently, when officials went to villages in Krishna district through which the canal is supposed to pass, there was resistance from the villagers against the move to acquire their lands for construction of the canal. They wanted the course of the canal to be changed so that their houses would be left untouched. As it is a political decision, it is left to chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

 

But the MEIL, which has been awarded the `1,300-crore project, is working overtime to complete the work entrusted to them. Their job is to arrange 13 pumps on Godavari river bank at Pattiseema in West Godavari district and when the river is in spate, pump the water through pipelines at a velocity of 8,500 cusecs to a distance of 54 km and release it into the Polavaram right canal.

From this point, the water is supposed to flow under gravity to upstream of  Prakasam Barrage. After doing this work - installation of pumps and laying of pipelines - MEIL will exit and the project will be in the control of the state government.

According to experts, the main bottleneck for the state government would be construction of the canal in the five reaches of both West Godavari and Krishna districts. The task is much more tricky in Krishna since parts of the land that are to be acquired for construction of the canal has been  categorised as reserve forest area near Mylavaram. To use that land, the state government has to secure clearance from the Centre.

The other problem is the resistance from villagers against allowing the canal through their villages. They have gone to High Court seeking a direction to the state government to make changes in the alignment. “Since the issue is in the court, the authorities cannot actually start the process of land acquisition,” an irrigation expert feels.

According to sources, apart from land acquisition, another stumbling block which has not yet been addressed is getting clearances for about 60 structures from the Central Designs Commission. Then, aque-ducts have to be laid over Ramileru and Tammileru. All this will take at least three years’ time.

Even then, it is feared that the canal, which has been designed to handle a flow of 15,000 cusecs, would have to handle nearly half and if percolation and evaporation are taken into consideration, the flow might come down to 8,000 cusecs.

“If the government is really sincere, it would take at least three years for  completion of the entire project,” the irrigation expert said.

 

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/Pattiseema-Scheme-Faces-Canal-Glitch/2015/05/14/article2813368.ece

 

 

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