55.73% of Polavaram works completed

Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday announced that the upstream jet grouting (for the foundation of cofferdam of Polavaram Irrigation Project) has been completed. Naidu said 77.5% of the downstream jet grouting has also been finished, and is expected to be completed by July 9.

Chandrababu Naidu virtually inspected the progress of Polavaram Project works using a live drone feed. During the review, officials told the Chief Minister that the project reached an overall progress of 55.73%, which includes the head works, the right main canal and the left main canal.

They said that 75.6% of the excavation for the spillway and spill channel has been completed. This week, against a target of 13.09 lakh cubic metres, 4.49 lakh cubic metres of earthwork was excavated for the spill channel, pilot channel, spillway, left bank and approach channel.

Similarly, 27.2% of the concreting for the spillway, stilling basin and spill channel was completed, accounting for a total of 10.01 lakh cubic metres out of 36.79 lakh cubic metres. They explained that 42,000 cubic metres of concrete was laid this week.

Out of the budget of Rs 3,115.11 crore allocated for rehabilitation and resettlement, Rs 219.25 crore has been spent so far. The Chief Minister instructed the Joint Collector of East Godavari to ensure that by the end of this financial year, rehabilitation and resettlement works were completed.

Principal Secretary to Water Resources Department Shashi Bhushan Kumar said that 5 teams of experts and IAS officers have been assigned the monitoring of R&R progress in East and West Godavari to make sure speedy progress.  

In East Godavari, works have been completed in 7 more R&R colonies for 1,338 project displaced families (PDFs). In West Godavari, 19 new colonies have been completed for 2,584 PDFs. 

Officials also explained to the Chief Minister that among the other priority projects, Pedapalem Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS), Chinasana LIS, Pulakurthy LIS, Owk Tunnel, Gorakallu Balancing Reservoir and Pulikanuma LIS are ready for inauguration. 

They also said that the Kondaveeti Vagu Project is expected to be completed by July 15. The Kuppam Branch Canal is expected to release water by July 31 this year and the Kandula Obul Reddy Gundlakamma Reservoir will also be completed by then. The Veligonda Project Head regulator and the Nellore and Sangam Barrages will be completed by August 31.

Water supply to Mullapally is expected to commence in December this year. The Chief Minister directed forest officials to speed up the decisions regarding alienation of forest lands for the Mallimadugu Reservoir, Balaji Reservoir and Venugopala Sagar Reservoir so that they can be completed by the set target of December, 2018.

Naidu also asked officials to ensure that the Vamsadhara Project stage-2 phase 2 is ready to store 5 TMC by July 15.  “August 15 this year is the deadline for calling tenders for all 54 projects,” the Chief Minister instructed the officials.