HYDERABAD: Orissa has agreed to a joint survey to decide the extent of land to be submerged on account of the Polavaram irrigation project and accordingly demand compensation.

The outcome followed talks between officials of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa Governments at Bhubaneswar on Saturday. Orissa's nod comes as a relief to the Andhra Pradesh Government, which is unable to push through several packages it has grounded due to opposition from the neighbouring State.

Sources in the Irrigation Department told said Orissa officials had offered to indicate the cost of conducting the survey.

Cost of survey

Chhattisgarh, another State likely to lose land under the Polavaram project, has already given its approval for the survey at a meeting convened by Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz in New Delhi recently. Chattisgarh sought Rs. 58 lakhs for the survey and the same has already been remitted to that State.

Dispute on extent

In line with the inter-State agreements on Godavari waters, both Orissa and Chhattisgarh had given an in-principle clearance for submergence at full reservoir level (FRL) of the project (150 ft). Disputes, however, arose over the extent. Andhra Pradesh, in its detailed project report, stated that eight villages in Orissa and four in Chhattisgarh would be submerged at this level. Both States said the extent would be much larger than estimated.

Satellite pictures

A similar dispute arose regarding the land being lost within the State at FRL. Referring to satellite pictures of the submerged land during the recent Godavari floods, Left parties said 305 villages would be lost under the project.

The project report had put the figure at 274.

Meanwhile, the State Government has agreed to merge 481 sq km of adjoining area to Papikondalu wildlife sanctuary as proposed by the Union Government.

The impact of the reservoir on the sanctuary "will be minimal", it is held.

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