BHUBANESWAR: Raising question on the methodology of the Gopal Krishna panel on the study of hydrology of the Polavaram project and its observation of the computation of backwater submergence, Orissa government has decided to contest the findings, official sources said.The decision to continue the legal fight against the Polavaram multi-purpose project before the Supreme Court was taken at a high level meeting chaired by chief secretary B K Patnaik here.Stating that the proposed project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh would result in submergence of a vast area in the tribal-dominated Malkangiri district, Patnaik claimed that the project in its present form was in violation of Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT) orders in which the design flood of the dam was limited to 36?lakh cusec.The project also included upstream projects like Inchampalli and Bhopalapatnam for moderating flood water at Pollavarm Project, he pointed out adding that Andhra Pradesh has not taken up these upstream projects yet.In the absence of the upstream projects, Palavaram will be a large reservoir making huge backwater submergence in the state. "No public hearing was conducted in Malkangiri district before issuance of environmental clearance to the project," the chief secretary said. The project was also in violation of Forest Conservation Act, 1980 regarding diversion of forestland for submergence, he said.The Supreme Court had mandated Gopal Krishna panel to examine whether construction in Polavaram was as per GWDT provisions."There are many deficiencies in the procedures followed for the hydrology of the project and computation of backwater submergence," he said.
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