AP government releases Rs 2,020 crore for Polavaram project works

The Polavaram project construction was put on hold after the diaphragm wall was severely damaged by huge floods in 2019 and 2020.

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has granted Rs 2,020 crore for taking up diaphragm wall repairs and other works at the Polavaram project. According to the recommendations of CWC and NHPC, the repairs to the Polavaram project’s diaphragm wall are taken up.

Before the Godavari River floods in October, the state administration intended to finish all of the projects. The Polavaram project construction was put on hold after the diaphragm wall was severely damaged by huge floods in 2019 and 2020.

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The experts from the Jal Shakti ministry, the Central Water Commission (CWC), and IITs examined the project site and conducted research to determine how to proceed with the repairs to the diaphragm wall damaged areas but were not able to solve it.

After conducting investigations into damages, the National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) team reported the process to repair damaged diaphragm walls. At the highest level, the Dam Designs Review Panel (DDRP), the Jal Shakti Ministry, and CWC carefully examined the NHPC report and instructed the state government to proceed with the repairs as recommended by the NHPC.

Following the NHPC’s advice, the irrigation department prepared a cost estimate for the repairs and other related works.

Sashibhushan Kumar, principal secretary for irrigation, estimated the cost of repairing the diaphragm wall’s damaged section at Rs 331.31 crore. As part of its agreement to cover the entire project cost, he gave the project authorities instructions to make sure the Centre reimbursed the money. The project chief engineer’s requests to undertake additional maintenance work and a new lift irrigation scheme with an estimated cost of Rs. 1,700 crore were approved by the state government.