HYDERABAD: Even as the Supreme Court has commenced hearings on Polavaram multi-purpose project, availability of water in the Godavari on constant basis at estimated level at the point where it is taken up, has been questioned.

Central agencies dealing with the project, Central Water Commission and Central Electricity Authority have sent back the proposals of the State Government for re-examination. Citing data for the past one century, the agencies have reportedly pointed out that the river has not maintained a high-level flow at least for a major part of the year even during a flood year as to support a big 960-MW hydel station as proposed by the State as part of Polavaram dam. The agencies have noted that a massive quantity of 28 to 30 lakh cusecs of water flowed down Polavaram point during the worst floods in the Godavari in 1986 and 2006 but such a huge flow "will be of no use to a hydel station of the size proposed."

All this quantity goes into the sea within a few days except small storage contained by the proposed dam. Once this storage is used for irrigation, albeit, through power generation, only small quantity remains in the reservoir and that may not suffice to back a big installed capacity after the season, they held.

Prior to the issue being referred to the apex court, the Government had launched works to construct Polavaram dam with a height of 150 ft to store nearly 120 tmcft and utilise about 350 tmcft to irrigate about 8 lakh acres. In the light of the suggestion , the dam design is likely to undergo slight change at penstock level. The Government has appointed a committee to reassess the availability at the Polavaram point.

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