BHUBANESWAR: POLITICS apart, the facts and figures over the proposed Polavaram project that threatens to submerge 29 tribal villages in Orissa, belie the Centre's claim. The Union Environment Ministry has accepted the Andhra Pradesh Government's promise that with appropriate technical interventions, submergence could be avoided in Orissa's Mottu taluk. But how much bankable is the Andhra's embankment plan? The observations made at the Expert Appraisal Committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on the AP's presentation regarding its ` 600crore plan envisaging bunds, drainage sluices and pumping arrangements to prevent submergence of lands in Orissa raise some valid posers. First, no reservoir in the country has embankments in its periphery to restrict the spread. Because this will result in stagnation of water during monsoon and also deprives the reservoir of its natural yield. Secondly, the pumping system is not a foolproof solution given the frequency with which cyclonic storms hit the states (Orissa, AP and Chhattisgarh). For instance, it mentioned that AP received 1,000 mm rainfall in Kakinada in three days and Orissa received 500 mm rains in two days in 1980. In such cases, pumping out water in 78 days is not feasible and submergence is very much possible in vast tracts in Orissa, observed the EAC. Most importantly, it observed that large reservoirs with high spillway capacity have been constructed at Kolab (Sabari), Balimela and Lower Sileru in Sileru. Therefore, these reservoirs will be required to have spill design overflow in SeptemberOctober during cyclones that will impinge on the final reservoir level (FRL) of Polavaram. It says this will result in large backwater rise, not anticipated now. Finally, it concluded that low FRL at Polavaram visavis the demerits in submersion in Orissa/Chhattisgarh needs examination. However, it added that since Central Water Commission's (CWC) technical advisory committee (TAC) has approved the technical design, the EAC accepts it. However, in the same vein, it maintained that construction of embankments without the support of the Orissa Government does not look feasible. And no public hearing in the affected villages runs contrary to the established norms. It has asked the AP Government to proceed in this matter and report back to the committee. But the MoEF, without this mandatory public hearing in Orissa, gave environmental clearance to the project. The MoEF letter to the Orissa Government states that no forest land is going to be submerged in Orissa and with regard to AP and the government there has taken appropriate action. However, a 2001 report by the AP Government based on remote sensing data very well documented that at the reservoir level of 150 ft, 102.16 ha of reserve forest area in Orissa is going to be submerged.