Water Resources Minister Nimmala writes letter to Centre 

The Capital News 

1) Letter to the center: The minister expressed concerns about reducing the height of the contour to divert funds without completing the Jagan Polavaram project in the Legislative Assembly.

2) Government commitment: The NDA government is committed to maintaining the water storage contour height at 45.72 as per the construction design of the Polavaram project, as mentioned by Minister Ramanaidu.

3) Risks associated with reduction in height: Minister Ramanaidu highlighted that the previous YCP government’s proposals to reduce the contour height to 41.15%, not only hindered the project but also posed a risk of turning it into a barrage.

4) Benefits of the proposed height: Minister Ramanaidu emphasized that with a contour height of 45.72, 194 TMC can be stored and 320 TMC of Godavari water can be utilized.

5) Reduced benefits: The minister cautioned that if the contour height is reduced to 41.15%, only 109 TMC storage would not be beneficial.

6) Cost implications: Minister Ramanaidu mentioned that the idea to reduce the estimated construction cost from 55,000 crores to 30,000 crores by lowering the height and diverting 10,000 to 15,000 crores from the center is attributed to Jagan.

7) Importance of the project: The minister stressed the significance of the Polavaram project to the NDA government and highlighted the responsibility towards the residents