Polavaram enters Guinness Book of Records

​Polavaram (West Godavari): Marking a golden letter day in the history of Polavaram project – the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh -- the concrete works of spill channel successfully entered the Guinness Book of World Records by completing 32,315.5 cubic metres of concrete works in a span of 24 hours by 8 am on Monday breaking the previous world record in the category of pouring of 21,580 cubic metres of concrete continuously achieved by Abdul Wahed Bin Shabib, RALS Contracting LLC and Alfa Engg Consultant (all UAE) from 18 to 20 May, 2017.

The Polavaram project works also broke the earlier records for the largest and continuous concrete pouring. Receiving the Guinness Book of World Records’ certificate from adjudicator Rishi Nath, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed happiness over breaking the two world records by the Polavaram project.

He made it clear that the project would be completed by June 2019 and water would be released through the right and left canals through gravity.

The Chief Minister appealed to the Centre to clear the revised DPRs of the project immediately setting aside politics as the Polavaram project was declared as a national project. He said the Central government should release the funds with interest as the project enhance the prestige of the country.

The Chief Minister said that other states should emulate Andhra Pradesh in development programmes. He said once the Polavaram project was completed, the farmers will get great relief with supply of water to all the regions of the state. Coming back to the engineering feat by the project, the Navayuga company has placed 20 agitor trucks and 70 transit mixers to deliver concrete from 10 batching plants with capacity up to 1560 cum/hour, a total of 900 men worked together to execute this remarkable feat.

The total number of trips of concrete carried 5300 numbers, quantum of cement used 77,00 mt/1,54,000 bags, quantum of aggregate used 30000 cum/7500 mt, quantum of sand used 15000 cum. “With the concrete quantity laid 32,100 cum, we can build 650 number of double bed houses,” the engineers said. The Polavaram irrigation project is a multipurpose terminal reservoir, envisaged to cater to the irrigation needs to an extent of 38.78 lakh acres with new ayacut of 7.2 lakh acres and stabilisation of 23.58 lakh acres of Krishna and Godavari delta.

Through the Pattiseema lift irrigation, 80 tmc of Godavari water will be diverted to Krishna river and 23.44 tmc allocated to the industries along the coastal corridor and domestic needs of Visakhapatnam city. The project helps to set up 960 mw hydro power plant a and drinking water for 540 villages to a population of 28.5 lakh.

Water resources department officials, NECL executives, GWR Adjudicator Rishi Nath and team, independent witnesses, esteemed civil engineering professors and consultants and executive of equipment suppliers witnessed the global event. Starting from 8 am on Sunday with 1275 cum in the first hour completed 32315.5 cum by 8 am on Monday.

Awards: The Polavaram project won 19 Skoch platinum golden awards. CBIP award for Godavari delta water management, Global water conservation award and CBIP award for Polavaram.