Lok Sabha Question No. 2589 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-17
Subject: Polavaram Project
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Pocha Brahmananda Reddy, Beesetti  Venkata Satyavathi, Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI, REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2589

ANSWERED ON 17.03.2022

## POLAVARAM PROJECT

## 2589.   SHRI POCHA BRAHMANANDA REDDY SHRI BEESETTI VENKATA SATYAVATHI SHRI N. REDDEPPA

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (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?

## ANSWER

## 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  141 st 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.