Polavaram fraud

Fear of submergence haunts Kurturu, a village nestled in the Papi hills of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh. In 2005, a band of officials, an unusual sight in this remote village in West Godavari district, visited the place and marked a rock.

Letters - December 31, 2011

Cautious Warning It appears that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has tightened its procedures in the hope of preventing errors in terms of the language used in its report (‘Future shock’, November 16-30, 2011).

Polavaram in tender turmoil

THE Indirasagar Polavaram Project in Andhra Pradesh is caught in yet another controversy. The reason this time is the alleged irregularities in the bidding process to construct parts of the mega dam on the Godavari river in West Godavari district. Questioning the awarding of contract, the high court on October 31 directed the High Powered Committee for tender approval to review the technical capabilities and expertise of the contending firms.

Letters

Bring back trams

Why Polavaram is a pointless project

 400,000 MAY BE DISPLACED The environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the project says 276 villages will be affected; an estimated 177,275 people live in these villages. The Polavaram Project Environmental Impact Appraisal Report of 1985 expected 150,697 people to be displaced in 226 villages.

Orissa wants stay on Polavaram

THE Orissa government has moved the Supreme Court seeking stay on the forest clearance granted to a multipurpose project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. It is being constructed by the Andhra government on the Godavari at Polavaram. Orissa fears the dam that is part of the project will submerge parts of the state and displace people.

In Court

Mining Restraint:The Goa bench of Bombay High Court asked mining company Sesa Goa to stop extracting iron ore in Advalpal village. The court was hearing a petition that said the village is left with no water sources and paddy fields are dry because of the mining operations. Sesa Goa is dumping waste along the nullahs, choking and contaminating them. The petition was filed by a nine-year-old boy Akash Naik and non-profit Goa Foundation.

Suit against dam

The last crop

Submit report on submergence issues of Palavered, says SC

On February 15, the supreme court asked the Central Water Commission (CWC) to examine and submit a report on the nature and extent of submergence that the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh may cause. The ruling came on a petition by Andhra Pradesh which sought permission for the execution of the long-pending Rs 12,000-crore project. Andhra Pradesh said that it had obtained all necessary clearances required for the project.