Bhubaneswar, Jan 7 (IANS) Orissa will move the Supreme Court against the clearance granted by a Central Water Commission panel to the multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh, an official said Friday.
‘We are surprised with this decision. How can they clear the project when the matter is disputed and already pending in the Supreme Court?’ a senior official of the state water resources department said to IANS.
The technical advisory committee of the commission held a meeting in New Delhi Tuesday and gave its nod after the project cost was revised to Rs.18,000 crore from the previous Rs.10,800.
‘We will draw the attention of the apex court. Besides, we will also register our protest with the central government,’ the official added.
The Polavaram irrigation project to be built on Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh became controversial after Chhattisgarh and Orissa opposed it, claiming that their bordering areas would get submerged and thousands of people would be displaced.
The central environment ministry gave the final clearance for diversion of 3,731.07 hectares of forest land in July for the project despite protests from both the states.
The central government said it cleared the project on the condition that no submergence of forest land should take place in Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
