Date:27/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/27/stories/2005042713900300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Others

Public hearing on Pulichintala today

Staff Reporter

``We give a patient hearing to every person concerned and it will be conducted in a free and fair manner.''

In troubled waters: The Pulichintala project site at Vajinepally in Nalgonda district.

MELLACHERUVU (NALGONDA DT.): Having learnt enough lessons during the environmental public hearing on Pulichintala project on November 10, 2004, the district administration has geared up for another public hearing at the Zilla Parishad High School in the mandal headquarters of Mellacheruvu on Wednesday.

It may be recalled that utter chaos had prevailed at the venue of the first public hearing following the Collector, K. Vijayanand's refusal to allow representatives of the Human Rights Forum and the Telangana Vidyavantula Vedika to air their views. Police had arrested nine persons including Kodanda Ram of the TVV and P. Subba Rao of the HRF.

``We give a patient hearing to every person concerned and it will be conducted in a free and fair manner,'' the Environmental Engineer, Pollution Control Board, R. Ravinder Reddy, told The Hindu on Tuesday.

Uncertainly irks

``As the Chief Minister has already made it clear that he will go ahead with the construction at any cost, it is meaningless to oppose it. All we want is early payment of compensation,'' a villager of Nemalipuri said. The uncertainty over the construction of the project had been irking the locals for a long time.

The project was conceived in 1911 by Col. Ellis, the then Superintending Engineer, Bezawada circle, Madras, to meet the irrigation needs of Guntur district. With the construction of Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam, Pulichintala was shelved for the time being.

The Congress Government is determined to take up the Rs.565.87-crore project, which stabilizes the existing ayacut of the Prakasam barrage and generates power in the second phase. To settle the issue, the Government has come out with an attractive Environmental Management Plan at a cost of Rs.5097 millions including R&R costs (Rs.3268.10 millions), catchment area treatment (Rs.1785 millions) and compensatory afforestation (Rs.43.50 millions). ``Money is not at all a problem. We have already Rs.40 crores with us to pay for ryots,'' Mr. Vijayanand said.

Meanwhile, the editor, Green Guard, S. Nagasena Reddy, said no other project in the country had gone for three public hearings like this. "The first hearing supposed to be held on March 28, 1998, did not take place. Since the technical committee insisted for a fresh Environment Assessment Report, the second public hearing was cancelled and now the third one is being conducted,'' he maintained.