HYDERABAD: The factors that caused the recent floods in the Godavari basin that threatened the existence of the Kadem dam in Nirmal district, resulted in the flooding of two major pump houses of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, and floodwaters rampaging through several north Telangana districts, including Bhadrachalam town, appear to have left the Telangana government in a perplexed state.
One thing, however, appears to have become clearer concerning the flooding of Bhadrachalam, as special chief secretary (irrigation) Rajat Kumar on Wednesday told media that the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh on the Godavari did not necessarily cause flooding of the temple town in Khammam district.
“I am not saying this (episode of) flooding is because of Polavaram,” he told reporters following a review meeting with senior irrigation department officials.
Earlier on Tuesday, minister Ajay Kumar Puvvada said that the latest flooding in Bhadrachalam over the past few days took place because the Andhra Pradesh government raised the height of the Polavaram dam structure, which, in turn, resulted in a larger volume of backwater accumulating on the Telangana side of the river and resulting in the flooding.
Rajat Kumar made it clear during his chat with reporters that Telangana had been repeatedly asking the Centre for a thorough backwater impact study of the Polavaram project, which could result in flooding of Bhadrachalam, Parnasala, and around one lakh acres of cropland in the state.
“The Government of India feels it is a resolved issue, we feel concerned,” he said.
“There will be an impact of increased height of the Polavaram project, and more areas will be submerged. It is not that the Polavaram project proposal has not been studied, it is a national project. We feel concerned that its impact will be felt in our area,” he said.
On the rains, Rajat Kumar said that cloudburst was not a technical term, and heavy rain events are a result of changing climate, adding that the “IMD and Eurosat were unable to predict (how heavy the rains would be). Something is there behind it.”
It may be recalled that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao said that the heavy floods were a result of a possible international conspiracy causing cloudburst deliberately in Telangana.
Rajat Kumar said the Kadem project withstood heavy floods because of repairs taken up at the dam, and added that there was no truth in those criticising the state government over the submergence of two Kaleshwaram project pump houses and the project’s planning and construction.
“It will not cost a few hundred crores but around Rs 20-25 crore for repairs, and the construction company has the maintenance contract,” he said, adding that the pumps would be brought back to working condition within 45 days.
He said that each aspect of the project was vetted and cleared by the Central Water Commission.
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