Central panel to visit Polavaram sites
Saturday July 22 2006 13:35 IST

RAJAHMUNDRY: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), appointed by the Supreme Court, will visit Kolleru and Indirasagar Project (Polavaram Project) work sites in West, East Godavari and Khammam districts districts respectively on July 29, 30 and 31, said Polavaram Project Chief Engineer M Venkateswara Rao.

The committee headed by Jai Krishna, will arrive by a flight at Gannavaram on July 29, and inspect the Kolleru operations. The team will retire for the day at Rajahmundry. On July 30, the CEC will visit the Polavaram project site and the areas likely to be submerged by road up to to Koraturu village.

Later, they will proceed to Bhadrachalam in a boat and inspect the project site in Khammam district on July 31, the CE said.

The Government had submitted proposals to the National Board of Wildlife and the Supreme Court for forest clearance.

Already, a team from the National Board of Wildlife visited the project site and gave clearance and the SC’s clearance was pending.

‘‘Following the CEC’s report, the Supreme Court would give the forest clearance. The proposals were made in such a way that environment will not be affected and the committee may respond positively,’’ the CE hoped.

According to Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) P Satyanarayana, about 59,068 hectares of wildlife sanctuary was located in East, West Godavari and Khammam districts, of which 187.29 acres (3 per cent) would be affected due to the construction of the project.

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