The construction of the Polavaram Irrigation Project on the Godavari River has triggered massive displacement of tribal communities from the erstwhile Scheduled Areas of eight mandals, now part of Eluru and Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) districts in Andhra Pradesh. The project has affected 373 habitations across 222 revenue villages, displacing 96,660 Project Displaced Families (PDFs).
Out of these, 38,060 families from 172 habitations have undergone relocation. Of them, 12,797 families—comprising 8,589 Scheduled Tribe (ST) families, 827 Scheduled Caste (SC) families, and 3,381 non-ST/SC families—have been resettled in Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) colonies. An additional 24,791 families, including 9,963 STs, 2,951 SCs, and 11,877 non-ST/SCs, are projected to be relocated by March 2026, according to government records.
While physical relocation has advanced in phases, the legal and administrative integration of the R&R colonies has not kept pace. These colonies, some named after the original villages and others newly christened, remain outside the purview of both the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996. This has created a legal vacuum that denies displaced families their basic rights to self-governance and civic entitlements.
In Devipatnam Mandal of ASR District, for instance, 5,618 families—3,093 tribal and 2,525 non-tribal—have been displaced from 13 revenue villages, according to a Right to Information response dated November 26, 2024. Thirty-six R&R colonies have been constructed for their resettlement. Except for one colony in a non-Scheduled Area, the rest fall under the Scheduled Area of the Rampachodavaram Revenue Division. Families from the Kondamodalu revenue village have been relocated to colonies such as Pedabhimpalli-3, Neladonelapadu, Neladonelapadu-2, and Krishnunipalem, with a combined population of over 2,000.
Despite this extensive displacement, these colonies have not been officially declared as revenue villages or recognised Gram Panchayats. Residents are left without access to basic civic rights such as voter registration and participation in local governance. Ironically, Gram Sabhas continue to be notified in the names of submerged villages that no longer exist, effectively erasing displaced tribal families from the governance framework.
This administrative void has sparked growing unrest. The Agency Girijan Sangham, along with other grassroots organisations, has demanded the creation of new Gram Panchayats in the R&R colonies. These groups argue that without official recognition, the constitutional protections guaranteed to tribal communities under PESA and related laws remain unfulfilled.
Notably, G.O. Ms. No. 63 (February 2019) of the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Department lays out clear criteria for constituting new Gram Panchayats in tribal habitations, including thandas. Any settlement with over 500 residents, at least 100 of whom are STs, and located within two kilometres of an existing Gram Panchayat headquarters, qualifies for such recognition. Despite this enabling provision, the government has yet to implement it in the context of Polavaram’s displaced population.
Beyond governance failures, a critical aspect of rehabilitation remains unaddressed: compensation for forest lands held under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Many displaced tribal families had secured individual or community titles over forest lands prior to their eviction. These rights are protected under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR Act), which broadens the definition of “landowner” under Section 3(r)(ii) to include individuals granted forest land titles under the FRA.
Official records indicate that 2,372 individual adivasi farmers from 123 habitations were granted podu pattas over 6,407.38 acres of forest land in the submergence zone. The LARR Act also recognizes community forest rights and mandates compensation for their loss. Under Section 42(3), the value of such collective rights must be monetized and distributed among the affected population.
In 2019, the Andhra Pradesh government informed Parliament that 167 community claims over 70,724 acres had been selected for recognition in the Polavaram submergence area. That same year, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), during a field visit, emphasized the need for a transparent formula to value and compensate the loss of forest rights.
There is an urgent need for the state government to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for assessing and disbursing compensation for forest land acquired under the FRA. This SOP must be consistent with both the FRA and the LARR Act. It should include clear mechanisms for the equitable distribution of compensation for community-held lands and ensure the consent and participation of Gram Sabhas in determining land values and distribution modalities.
The Polavaram Project starkly illustrates how large infrastructure initiatives can marginalize indigenous communities when constitutional and legal protections are not implemented. The failure to integrate R&R colonies into local governance, the delay in forming Gram Panchayats, and the denial of compensation for forest rights are not just administrative oversights—they are violations of justice and dignity.
Upholding the rights of displaced tribal communities requires urgent corrective action. Establishing a legal framework for governance, implementing statutory compensation mechanisms, and ensuring democratic participation are not optional—they are constitutional mandates.
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