Polavaram dam works to begin in January

VIJAYAWADA: The multipurpose Polavaram dam works are likely to begin from January and be ready by the end of the year.

Water resources authorities are preparing various proposals on strengthening nearly 200 metres of scoured portion of diaphragm wall, which was damaged due to discharge of water from gaps of upstream cofferdam when the river witnessed heavy floods in 2019.

The proposals, once finalized, would be sent to Central Water Commission for final consent, following which it will be placed before the Dam Design Review Committee by November 15.

Once the process is over, the state government will take up construction of Polavaram dam tentatively in January or February. The dam will be constructed over a length of nearly two kilometres across Godavari river at an elevation of 52 metres connecting Purushothapatnam in East Godavari Polavaram in West Godavari.

Officials are planning a two-lane road connecting villages in East and West Godavari districts parallel to the Polavaram dam at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore. Once completed, the road is expected to reduce the distance by 60-70 km benefitting travellers between Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, according to Polavaram project chief engineer B. Sudhakar Babu.

Meanwhile, the Centre is yet to give its nod for the revised project cost of DRP-2 at Rs 55,656 crore at 2017-18 price level. The state government intends to seek a 20 per cent hike in the project cost to reflect the 2020-21 price level.