Vijayawada: Targeting to complete the spillway works of the prestigious Polavaram project by June 15, Andhra Pradesh government has urged the centre to release pending bills worth Rs 1,600 crore to enable the project completion speedily.
Reviewing the progress of Polavaram works on Friday, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy asked senior officials to pursue the matter with the centre. He observed that Polavaram is a high priority project and should be completed on a war-footing.
The CM said his government was committed to its completion and was pushing it despite a severe strain on its financial resources in view of the pandemic. He said it was not proper for the centre to sit on the bills for the huge expenses incurred by the state government. He recalled that the government would have to spend at least Rs 1,400 crore in the coming three months towards the remaining works.
The officials briefed the CM that nearly 91 per cent of spillway concrete works were completed and the remaining would be done by June 15. They said 42 radial gates were erected and pending 6 gates would be completed soon. Another 14 hydraulic cylinders would arrive very soon from Germany. All the gates were lifted to release flood waters. The spill channel would reach the safe stage by May-end. Gaps in the upper coffer dam were closed successfully. The reaches 1 and 2 of the coffer dam would be built by June-end, and the remaining two also would be completed by July-end at targeted heights. The CM then asked the officials to expedite the works on the lower cofferdam as well.
