Andhra Pradesh: MEIL speeds up Polavaram spillway works

At a time when the migrant workers across the country are leaving their places of work for their native villages due to the deadly Covid-19 pandemic and all major works have slowed down as a result, the work on the Plavaram project is, however, going on at a brisk pace. The works have been speeded up and are entering into a key phase on this prestigious project. Despite the Corona-related impediments, the works on the Spill Way are going on at a very brisk space. The works on the spill channel, approach channel, pilot channel, earth-cum-rock-fill dam and the gaps No 1, 2 and 3 are on.

The Megha Engineering (MEIL) took up the works on the world's largest spillway at Polavaram and is working hard as per the decided timelines. The Polavaram spillway has 50 lakh cusec water flow capacity and is larger than the spillway of the Chinese three-gorges project, which has a flow capacity of 47 lakh cusecs. When the MEIL took up the project, there was inundation both in the fore and rear grounds of the spillway. The MEIL had cleared the area of at least 4 TMC of water. This took quite some time and it was only in January that the works could pick pace. Normally, March and April are the most favourable months for speeding up the construction works. But this year, Corona lockdown struck and has hit most of the infra projects, including Polavaram, very hard. Infra projects across the country have come to a standstill. As many as 2000 guest workers from Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha had left for their native villages.

The Polavaram works had to be taken up with skeletal workforce. Yet, the state government and the MEIL have worked diligently to ensure the optimal work output levels on the spillway, spill channel, hydel centre, rock and earth works. In November-December, the works progressed at a relatively slower pace. In November, only 206 metres of work could be done. In December, 5628 square metres of work could be transacted. In January, 20639 cubic.mts, February 32443 cubic. mts and in march 36129 cubic. mts of work could be transacted in the Spillway and Spill Channel.

In April and May, lockdown came into force and raw material could not be made available to the project due to the lockdown. Raw material like cement and steel were in short supply. As a result, the pace of the work slowed up. The MEIL and the government have worked hard to keep pace. The MEIL in association with the district health officials, has set up a special medical camp for its employees. The employees were provided with immune-augmenting nutritious food and all kinds of medical tests were performed on them. Those working during the Corona lockdown were provided with special incentives.

State Govt, MEIL pairs up, speed up works

The Spillway works, which the past government could not complete, were completed under the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy rule. In April, 18714 sq. mts of concrete works could be completed in the Spillway and 9511 cubic. mt concrete works in Spill channel. Thus, 28225 cubic.mt of the concrete work could be accomplished. In May, the work was doubled. For instance, 9287 cubic.mt of spillway works, 34952 sq.mt of spill channel works could be completed. Thus, the total concrete work done in May stood at 44339 cubic. mt. Despite the Corona scare and the lockdown, the Polavaram works touched the roof in May. This showed the dedication of the MEIL and the determination of the State Government. Thus since November (as on June 08,2020) 2,01,025 cubic metres of spillway and spill channel works could be accomplished.

That this could be accomplished is no mean achievement considering the exodus of the migrant workers in view of the Covid.

All through the month of May, when the Covid lockdown was in force, the MEIL has accomplished 3000 sq.mts of the concrete works. This was achieved by a workforce of just 1861, including contract labour, low-level workers and the engineers. As many as 232 contract labourers and 200 MEIL staff have worked day-in and day-out on the Spillway, while 310 staffers and contract labourers worked on the Spill Channel. The most important works in these tasks are earth digging, removal of the boulders, building of a coffer dam, works of hydel project, earth and rockfill works.

Guest workers coming back in

The guest workers, who left the workspot amid Covid fears are returning. They are now reporting back to the work. All these are being admitted only thorough medical checkups by a specially deployed medical team. As of now, 2000 migrant workers are back and the number is likely to increase by the end of this week. MEIL is arranging a special transport facilities like Train, bus.