The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has seized the opportunity to criticise the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following the Union Budget announcement that the Central Government will provide financial and logistical support for the completion of the Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh.
Odisha has long opposed the project, arguing that its current design would lead to the submersion of large areas in Malkangiri district, including several tribal villages.
The BJD is using this situation to position itself as the defender of Odisha’s interests, portraying the BJP as “anti-Odisha” and “anti-tribal”.
The BJP’s support for the project, particularly given its alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh, provides the BJD with an opportunity to challenge the BJP’s commitment to Odisha’s welfare.
In response, the BJD has actively protested against the Polavaram project. A delegation of BJD leaders recently visited the areas in Malkangiri that are expected to be affected by the project.
According to state government sources, the current design of the project could lead to the submersion of 25 villages in Motu tehsil and inundate approximately 7,656 hectares of agricultural and forest land.
With around 75 per cent of the project reportedly completed, the BJD is raising alarms about the potential impact on Odisha’s tribal population and environment.
BJD leaders have also taken the issue to the national level.
Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo recently highlighted the potential displacement of 162 villages, including many tribal communities, due to the project.
She questioned the BJP’s commitment to tribal welfare, accusing the party of ignoring the interests of Odisha’s marginalised populations.
The Polavaram project, which has been in development for several years, received environmental clearance in 2005 and was declared a national project by the Centre in 2014.
The BJD has consistently opposed the project, even filing a petition in the Supreme Court in 2007, which is still pending.
However, since the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014, the BJD’s opposition has been largely limited to official correspondence, with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik writing multiple letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the cessation of the project’s construction.
The BJP, on the other hand, is aware of the difficult position it finds itself in.
Senior BJP leaders, including Jayanarayan Mishra, have accused the BJD of inaction during its long tenure in power, arguing that the party failed to protect Odisha’s interests when it had the chance.
However, with the BJD ramping up its protests and the issue gaining traction, the BJP may need to navigate this political challenge carefully, especially given its alliances in Andhra Pradesh and the broader implications for its standing in Odisha.
What is Polavaram Project?
The Indira Sagar (Polavaram) project is located on the Godavari river near Rammayyapet in Polavaram mandal of West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh.
The project is a multi-purpose major terminal reservoir project on river Godavari for irrigation, developing hydropower and providing drinking water facilities to East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Once complete, the Polavaram project will benefit all 26 districts of the state directly or indirectly and help irrigate 7.20 lakh acres of land, meet the drinking water needs of 28 lakh people, and also generate 960 MW of power from the hydropower plant that is coming up.
While work on the project started in 2004-05, it was only during the bifurcation of the undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2014 into two states — Telangana and Andhra Pradesh — that it was declared a national project. This meant that the state government would execute the project on behalf of the Centre and would get reimbursed for every penny spent by the state to complete it.
But the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government have, over the last several years, locked horns over the actual cost of the project. However, with the change in power dynamics at the Centre and state after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Centre has given its nod to support the project, leading to political tensions.
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