Senior CPI (M) leader and former Bhadrachalam Member of Parliament Dr Midiam Babu Rao has demanded that the Central government should give clarity about the potential submergence threat posed by the upcoming Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh to Bhadrachalam in Telangana.
"If the flood level in the Godavari reaches 61.5 feet at Bhadrachalam, nearly half of the temple town will be inundated," he said, highlighting the possible scale of impact of the backwaters of the Polavaram project, once completed.
He was speaking at AMC Colony in the temple town on Thursday after flagging off the five-day padayatra by the CPI (M) town committee.
The party State committee members Bandaru Ravi Kumar and A J Ramesh, town committee secretary G Swamy, among others were present.
The CPI (M) town committee launched the padayatra to draw the attention of the government to protect Bhadrachalam from the potential threat of submergence from Polavaram project and ensure comprehensive development of the temple town.
In his inaugural address, Dr Babu Rao slammed both the Central and State governments for their alleged apathetic attitude towards the development of Bhadrachalam.
"The Centre should make its stance clear on the impending submergence threat to Bhadrachalam Agency, including the temple town, from the Polavaram project under construction in Andhra Pradesh," he demanded.
He deplored that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s assurance to release ₹100 crore for the development of Bhadrachalam still remained unfulfilled.
"The TRS dispensation has remained indifferent to the submergence threat faced by Bhadrachalam Agency from the upcoming Polavaram project," he charged.
Other speakers demanded that the present design of the Polavaram project be altered to reduce the height of the dam to ward off danger to Bhadrachalam.
They sought re-transfer of five gram panchayats situated in close proximity to Bhadrachalam from Andhra Pradesh to Telangana’s Bhadrachalam Agency to pave way for the development of the Agency.
Their other main demands include immediate release of ₹100 crore for development of Bhadrachalam before the ensuing Sri Rama Navami festival, removing prevailing uncertainty over the status of the major Gram Panchayat of Bhadrachalam, extending the existing Karakatta (flood bank) along the banks of the Godavari and laying railway line between Pandurangapuram to Sarapaka near Bhadrachalam.
