Polavaram Works to Continue Even During Godavari Floods
The technical hands are filling up the scoured portions at Gap-1 as the earlier floods caused gaping holes in the area, requiring them to be filled up with rocks
Vijayawada: As the water level of Godavari river is likely to rise in the coming days, the state’s water authorities aim to ensure continuance of the works mainly to the earth-cum-rock-fill dam and diaphragm wall of the Polavaram irrigation project.
Officials said, “We would install 190 pumps to take up dewatering in the project area like Gap-1 and from the upper cofferdam to the lower cofferdam area. This would help continue the work without disruption. By mid-July, we would complete installation of the targeted pumps.”
They are taking up trail embankment for construction of ECRF at Gap-1. This is meant to test technical parameters like compaction and permeability. Based on the inputs related to technical parameters, suitable ones would be adopted for construction of the original ECRF dam. The trail embankment is built to at an elevation of 15 metres so that even in case of floodwaters entering the area, the would would continue without any disruption.
The technical hands are filling up the scoured portions at Gap-1 as the earlier floods caused gaping holes in the area, requiring them to be filled up with rocks.
As the central water commission has given its approval for designs and drawings to fill up the scoured portions spread over 120 metres, they are confining their activities to fill them up in the permitted area only in order to take up construction of the ECRF dam.
Officials said they were yet to get approvals for designs and drawings for a full length ECRF dam.
Moreover, for construction of a portion of the diaphragm wall, the authorities have raised the platform up to 22 metres against the regular height of 20 metres, so that they can continue the works without fear of flood water entering the area and disrupting the works.
The water authorities stated that, with the employment of three cutters at the works site, project works of major components are going on at a brisk pace.
Polavaram project superintendent engineer Ramachandra Rao said, “We aim to continue the work on major components like ECRF dam and diaphragm wall of the Polavaram project uninterrupted even in the event of floods by taking up dewatering in the work area. We hope to complete the project works as per schedule and are hopeful of completing the D-wall works by the end of 2025.”