Naidu to do Bhoomi Puja Tomorrow to Replace 117 Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage Gates

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will perform Bhoomi Puja for replacement of 117 crest gates and other equipment of Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage across Godavari River at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district on Monday.

The works being taken up at an estimated cost of ₹150 crore include mechanical and electrical tasks, like replacing the damaged 117 crest gates, repairing 12 head sluice gates bottom tier shutters, arranging rubber seals for all 175 crest gates of the barrage, changing cable wires of 197 gates, and replacing 734 roller bearings.

With regard to electrical works, authorities will change 102 master control panels and electric cables and wiring of all 175 gates.

AP government issued G.O. 339 on 30-06-2025 giving administrative sanction of ₹150 crore for the works. Hyderabad-based agency BECOM Infra Projects has been selected through bidding for taking up works worth ₹130.42 crore. Works have been entrusted to BECOM in May 2026 and they are expected to be completed in a year. But CM Chandrababu Naidu wants completion of all the works in six months.

Earlier in 2014, out of a total of 175 crest gates, 58 gates of the Dowleswaram barrage had been replaced at a cost of ₹31.77 crore. The remaining gates are to be replaced now.

Crest gates of reservoirs are technically evaluated after 50 years of their usage. Their replacement also depends on the corrosion and hydraulic pressure that they face.

Central Water Commission had inspected the Dowleswaram barrage gates during the past and recommended that they be changed. AP government has accordingly taken up the work.

No restoration works had been taken up on the barrage during the tenure of YSR Congress regime from 2019 to 2024.

Construction of Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage across Godavari River commenced in 1979 and got completed in 1984. The barrage has 197 gates out of which 175 are crest gates located along four arms – Dowleswaram, Rally, Madduru, and Vijjeswaram. The length of the barrage is 5.83 km.

The barrage is designed to divert 32.28 lakh cusecs of water to irrigate 10.13 lakh acres of land for raising crops like paddy and also meet drinking and industrial water needs along the canals.

Godavari River conservator G. Srinivas said, “We are expecting restoration works at the barrage to be completed in six months. Even if Godavari witnesses two to three lakh cusecs of discharge from the barrage, we will arrange stop log gates to continue works.”