Vijayawada: The Polavaram Project Authority would call for tenders shortly to decide on an international agency for a study on the partially damaged diaphragm wall of the irrigation project.
After study, the agency would recommend whether to go for construction of a new wall or do only repair works to the existing one.
Ever since, the water resources authorities noticed damage to some portions in the D-wall, the AP government and the central agencies like the PPA, the Central Water Commission and other agencies are on the lookout to address the issue.
The AP government proposed construction of a new D-wall for the full length of nearly 1,400 metres parallel to the damaged D-wall. The government felt this would ensure safety of the whole Polavaram project including the upcoming earth-cum-rockfill-dam.
Meanwhile, some suggestions came up from other agencies that the damaged portions at four places can be repaired.
According to an estimate, it costs nearly Rs 800 crore to construct a new D-wall while it would require Rs 408 crore to repair the damaged one. The proposal for carrying out repair works to the damaged D-wall is found to be highly unviable from the safety point of view. Any damage to the repaired D-wall in the form of leakage of water, in future, may result in a major disaster, it was averred.
Now, the international agency may also be asked to take up a study on ground improvement where the D-wall is located, the stability of underground earth, the seepage of water from upper coffer dam and the stability of earth where the ECRF dam will be constructed.
Meanwhile, the water resources authorities are taking up vibro compaction works to solidify the soil in the D-wall area.
Meanwhile, as the Polavaram project is already running at a delayed schedule for varied reasons, any further delay in taking up construction of D-wall and other works may cause further delay in the execution of works, resulting in cost escalation and also hardships to all stakeholders including the farmers, the project affected people and others.
Moreover, as Godavari river witnesses floods during the rainy season from June every year, the authorities plan to take up all major works before this time to avoid any hindrance to the works due to floods.
Polavaram project chief engineer Sudhakar Babu said, “We are expecting PPA to call for tenders to have a study on D-wall and other components of the Polavaram project. Once this is done, the Central Water Commission and other stakeholder agencies will take a final decision. Accordingly, we will start execution of the works.”
