BJD talks of possible Polavaram impact on Malkangiri, BJP hits back

Bhubaneswar: The BJD on Monday raised the issue of the Polavaram project, claiming that once completed, it would submerge over 200 villages in Malkangiri district.Holding a press conference, BJD's coordination committee chairman Devi Prasad Mishra said a delegation will visit Delhi on Tuesday to meet officials from various departments related to the Polavaram project and inform them about the potential damage.Mishra noted that at the inception of the Polavaram project, it was designed to handle 36 lakh cusecs of water, but later its capacity was increased to 50 lakh cusecs. "The impact of this increased capacity on neighbouring regions, particularly Malkangiri district, was not assessed," he alleged.Blaming the BJD of shedding crocodile tears, state BJP spokesperson Sujit Kumar Das said the people of Odisha had trusted BJD for 24 years, but got nothing in return. "The BJD could not resolve the Mahanadi water issue with Chhattisgarh. Neither could they resolve the issue of Polavaram project with Andhra Pradesh," he said, adding that all the issues of the people will be addressed.