Mud Caves In at Polavaram's Upper Coffer Dam After Heavy Rain
“The mud slip has not caused any structural damage. The cave-in is not related to the impact of floods in the Godavari River”: Polavaram project superintendent engineer R. Ramachandra Rao
VIJAYAWADA: Heavy rains during the last few days have caused a 10 X 10 mud slip between the 80–90 stretch at the left bank of the upper coffer dam of the Polavaram irrigation project on Friday. Authorities said on Saturday that they rectified the breach immediately.
Heavy vehicles have been carrying construction materials on the upper coffer dam road for building the diaphragm wall as also the earth-cum-rock-fill dam Gap-1 to ensure the works on the Polavaram project go on without any disruption even during the flood season.
Torrential rains led to huge pot holes developing on the surface of the road, resulting in stagnation of water. Subsequently, a portion of the road caved in.
Polavaram project superintendent engineer R. Ramachandra Rao said, “The mud slip has not caused any structural damage. The cave-in is not related to the impact of floods in the Godavari River.”
Presently, nearly four lakh cusecs of water is being discharged from the Polavaram project spillway. Earlier, when the Godavari River witnessed floods, a scoured portion of the upper coffer dam witnessed seepage of water.
Project authorities have taken up construction of both the upper and lower coffer dams to stop Godavari River water from entering the area where project works are going on. Construction works have been continuing even during moderate floods in the river. High-capacity dewatering pumps have been installed to keep the work area free from water logging. There is, however, trouble when water seeps from the river bed at times.