Hyderabad, June 4 (RAHNUMA): Former Minister and BRS Deputy Floor Leader Harish Rao has written to the CEO of the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA), highlighting the growing threat posed by Polavaram backwaters to Telangana’s flood-prone regions and demanding urgent intervention to protect affected families.
The letter was handed over personally to Polavaram Project Authority officials visiting Bhadrachalam by BRS leaders from Pinapaka and Bhadrachalam constituencies.
In a statement here on Thursday, Harish Rao pointed out that the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of the Polavaram Project is 45.72 metres, which is exactly the same as the first flood warning level at Bhadrachalam.
He warned that once the project becomes fully operational, Bhadrachalam could face a constant flood threat.
The BRS leader explained that while the riverbed level of the Godavari at Bhadrachalam is around 26 metres, the backwater effect from Polavaram would result in water levels remaining between 13.15 metres and 17.72 metres above the riverbed for prolonged periods.
Referring to the devastating floods of 2022, Harish Rao noted that after the completion of the Polavaram coffer dam, backwater effects contributed significantly to flooding in Bhadrachalam, Burgampahad and Sarapaka. Nearly 40 per cent of Bhadrachalam town was submerged, causing severe hardship to more than one lakh people.
He cautioned that if such extensive damage occurred during floods of around 22 lakh cusecs, the consequences could be far worse in the future when flood flows of 36 lakh to 50 lakh cusecs, as envisaged in the project’s design, pass through the Godavari.
Harish Rao stressed that the threat is not limited to villages alone. Major industrial establishments, including ITC paperboards, the heavy water plant and the Dummugudem Hydel Project, are also vulnerable to backwater flooding. These industries provide livelihoods to nearly 5,000 families, he said.
The BRS MLA cited studies conducted by IIT and WAPCOS, which indicate that nearly 184 square kilometres across 36 villages could be affected by the backwater impact.
Harish Rao demanded immediate compensation and comprehensive rehabilitation for nearly 2,000 families that have been suffering repeated losses due to recurring floods.
He also highlighted the vulnerability of eight outfall regulators connected to Bhadrachalam’s drainage system and called for the immediate construction of pumping stations and treatment plants to ensure that floodwaters can be effectively discharged into the Godavari.
The BRS leader further demanded the construction of new embankments extending about five kilometres along Bhadrachalam town and protective flood walls for vulnerable villages such as Burgampahad and Sarapaka.
He urged the Polavaram Project Authority to provide adequate compensation, undertake flood protection measures, and establish a dedicated PPA division office in Bhadrachalam to monitor rehabilitation, flood management and backwater-related issues affecting Telangana.
