Will Polavaram be a distant dream?

Vijayawada: With continuation of the Godavari river flood fury, fearing breach of bunds, the Polavaram project will be a distant dream as it would not be possible to take up the works due to monsoon which would continue till September, and lack of funds.

TheYSRCP government, which had claimed that the TDP government had taken up construction of cofferdam without completing the spillway leading to flooding and alleged that asking the contractor to raise the height of the cofferdam then was only to give scope to the contractor to demand extra cost without providing any real utility, has now decided to increase the height from 41metres to 43.5 metres.

The explanation being given now is that the present flood fury has increased the possibility of breach of bunds. It may be recalled that the cofferdam was initially planned at a height of 31 plus metres to check nearly 25 lakh cusecs of water in the river, the Design Review Committee consisting of experts from Central Water Commission and other agencies enhanced its height to plus 41 metres to enable it to withstand pressure of nearly 28 lakh cusecs. At present the flood release stands at 22 lakh cusecs. Experts claim that there is no problem to the project up to inflow of 32 lakh cusecs.

Meanwhile, over 6,000 families residing in Polavaram village are in grip of fear as the flood flow continued. In 2020-21 also the river bund here breached when the flood water gushed through the Yedlagudem drain. The Godavari bund near Polavaram village will be at a stretch of 2.5 km.

Special officer West Godavari district Katamneni Bhaskar on Saturday inspected Godavari bunds at Polavaram. He said that they identified weak bunds near Polavaram, Yedlagudem, Pattiseema, Gutala. On his instructions sand bags have been placed and directed officials to be on alert for four more days until the Godavari floods recede.

The flood water level at Polavaram project upper spillway was at 36.780 metres on Saturday.