Implement forest Act in Polavaram project area, Centre asks AP

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has been asked to look into complaints about the non-implementation of the Forest Rights Act in the Polavaram project area. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had written to Kiran Kumar's predecessor K Rosaiah in November. The lack of response from the state government prompted Ramesh to send a reminder last week.

Ramesh's reminder comes at a time when former Congress MP from Kadapa Jaganmohan Reddy has announced plans to undertake a three-day march from February 7 demanding speedy execution of multi-purpose dam and irrigation Polavaram project.

The project will bring immense benefit to farmers in the West Godavari, East Godavari, Krishna and Vizag districts as well as ensure water supply for Vizag. This would explain the push by Jaganmohan Reddy and Prajarajya Chief Chiranjeevi for the Polavaram project. No benefit will accrue to the Telangana region from this project, instead last tracts of Telangana will be submerged. Political parties across the spectrum in Telangana have opposed the project. The central government would like to tread carefully on the issue given the contentious Telangana issue.

Nearly 250 villages will be affected by the project, and almost 200,000 persons are expected to be displaced by the project. Most of the population in the area is tribal. This makes the non-implementation of the crucial forest rights law an extremely serious problem. Environmental analysts describe the Polavaram project as the "Sardar Sarovar of the south."

The first set of complaints were sent to Ramesh in end August. In their complaints, the gram sabhas challenged the state government's assertion that all claims under the Forest Rights Act have been settled. This was followed by complaints by civil society representatives to Forest Advisory Committee in September. The matter was referred to the Forest Advisory Committee.