Polavaram project set to cross a new milestone

48 radial gates to be fixed on December 17

Amaravati: Polavaram project, billed as Andhra's lifeline, will cross an important milestone on December 17 when 48 radial gates would be fixed to it.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during his 80th review meeting on Polavaram project at Secretariat on Monday, directed the officials to speed up the works to launch erection of gates on the appointed day.

The officials apprised Naidu that main works related to coffer dam, spill channel and approach channel will be completed by the end of April next year.

The main contractors of Polavaram project - Navayuga - informed the Chief Minister that they were going to set a world record in executing major portion of concrete works per day.

They explained that they have been using the machinery to produce more than 10-lakh cubic metres of concrete per month.

The officials explained to the Chief Minister that the concrete works have been going on at a rapid pace.

Stating that the construction of Polavaram should make history in construction of irrigation projects across the world, Chandrababu Naidu said that officials should maintain records to establish that Polavaram was a project which had been executed in the shortest possible time.

The officials informed him that 60.33 per cent of total project works had been completed. When it comes to the soil excavation, more than 80 per cent of works were over and as regards concrete works, the completion percentage was 45.

Nearly 90 per cent of right main canal works have been completed whereas the progress in respect of the left main canal was about 65 per cent and fabrication of radial gates works was 62 per cent.

Officials further informed that the works related to resettlement and rehabilitation for project-affected people were under progress.

More than 46 per cent of rehabilitation works in 17 colonies in East Godavari and 42 per cent works at 29 colonies in West Godavari districts had been completed.

Earlier, the Chief Minister enquired with the officials as to how the approach roads had broken up into long ribbons. The officials informed that there was no connection between the damage to the approach road and the project.

They said the approach road caved in due to recent rainfall and it was not related to blasting works near the project. The Chief Minister directed the officials to invite soil testing experts to examine the reasons for the damage of approach road.

He asked them to submit a detailed report on the damage of the road. The Chief Minister directed the Tourism officials to prepare proposals to make Polavaram as an international tourist destination.