Polavaram Dam

Polavaram Dam - This dam was proposed to be built during 1940 based on recommendations of erstwhile Madras presidency and the cost estimated was approximately Rs.7 crore.  This dam was supposed to bring in enormous benefits to the entire north madras presidency.  Surplus water from the flooding godavari river is supposed to get stored.  It was taken up again post independence, but at a revised cost of Rs.12 crore

Somehow, this project got shelved by successive governments and Vajpayee government took this up for consideration in 1999 and when YSR became CM of Andhra in 2004, funds was allocated and after 30% of work being completed, environment ministry put a tab on it.  This dam once built will have the capacity to save upto 900 tmc feet of water and also the flood waters can be diverted to krishna river and subsequently to water starved chennai city.  This dam can also come with a power generation capacity of 900 MW.  This dam and inter linking of water will benefit the entire south india

The flip side is that it will submerge 50000 acres of farm land and also will displace equal number of people mostly tribals and already telengana chattisgarh and odisha governments have voiced concern about displacement of people and submergence of farm land.  This project might bring in additional areas under cultivation with continuous supply water and power alongwith meeting drinking water requirements

I think that with proper rehabilitation of tribals, this project can be taken up as this will benefit more than 15 crore people of this country