Question : Polavaram Project

(a) whether the Government is aware that the Polavaram irrigation project is at a crucial stage of construction and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government is aware that land acquisition and further work is being hampered by the pending payments from the Centre to the tune of Rs. 2,100 crore and if so, the time by which these dues are likely to be cleared by the Ministry; and
(c) the time by which the Government would approve the revised cost estimate of the project and disburse the funds to the State?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)
(a) Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) is executing the Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP) on behalf of Government of India. Progress achieved on the project upto February, 2022 is reported by the State Government as below:

S. No Description Physical Progress in %
1

Dam Area
Earthwork 94.35
Concreting 92.90
Jet grouting cutoff for coffer dams 100
2 Left Main Canal
Earthwork 88.17
Lining 62.42
Structures 37.97 (172 out of 453 completed)
3 Right Main Canal
Earthwork 100
Lining 92.28
Structures 83.92 (214 out of 255 completed)
4 Land acquisition 67
5 Rehabilitation & Resettlement 7

Further, as reported by the GoAP, a number of key components of the PIP, such as spillway, erection of 42 no. of radial gates, erection of 10 no. of sluice gates, upstream coffer dam, concrete dam (gap III), diaphragm wall of earth-cum-rockfill dam (gap-I), have also been completed.

(b) Liability of Government of India, as on 1.4.2014, has been determined to be Rs. 15,667.9 crore. Thereafter, overall expenditure incurred by the State Government up to February, 2022 on the project is reported at Rs 14,336.31 crore. Out of this, Rs. 12,311.16 crore has been released so far. Subsequently, claims of Rs 437 crore have also been forwarded by the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) for reimbursement.

(c) Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood Control and Multipurpose Projects of this Ministry, in its 141st meeting held in February, 2019, accepted the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of the Polavaram irrigation project for Rs 55,548.87 crore at 2017-18 price level. Subsequently, in March, 2020, the Revised Cost Committee recommended the cost of the project at Rs 29,027.25 crore at 2013-14 price level, and at Rs 47,725.74 crore at 2017-18 price level.

Thereafter, in December, 2020 Government of Andhra Pradesh submitted the proposal for investment clearance of the revised cost. However, Polavaram Project Authority has sought compliance of certain condition such as conducting of socio-economic survey, preparation of detailed project report of distributory network, submission of revised timeline for completion schedule, etc. from GoAP.

****