Polavaram project: Earth-cum-rock fill dam to begin in January next year
VIJAYAWADA: The execution of earth-cum-rock-fill (ECRF) dam of Polavaram irrigation project at Polavaram in West Godavari district, will start in January with a target to complete it by the year-end.
The ECRF dam will come up at a height of 54 meters stretching to a length of 2.3 km with 200 meters width at bed and 12 meters width at the top. Nearly 1.18 crore cubic meters of earth excavation and setting up graded stone works will be taken up. The dam will have a water storage level of 45.72 meters and the dam helps storage of 194.6 tmc ft of water at full reservoir level.
Water resources authorities are taking up preparatory works with just over a month left for starting the works. Accordingly, they will be closing nearly 200 meters gap on upstream cofferdam as it measures a height of 45.72 meters so that the river water will be diverted towards the spillway to cross and continue its course downstream. The cofferdam, measuring 32 meters in height, located downstream the river will be strengthened as the coffer dam on both upstream and downstream to help construction of the dam.
The authorities are targeting completion of spillway works by April as nearly 30,000 cubic meters of concrete works remain pending. The spillway bridge will be coming up at a height of 54 meters and crest gates will be erected on piers at a height of 55 meters.
At present, the authorities are dewatering the spill channel as a huge quantum of flood water is still there.
Water level in the spill channel is at 20 meters height against the water level in the river at nearly 15.6 meters height. The authorities plan to complete a dewatering exercise by using high capacity pumps by the end of December. Nearly 2.5 lakh cubic meters of concrete works are pending with the spill channel and the authorities are planning to complete the works by April.
Issues related to land acquisition and resettlement and rehabilitation of the evacuees will be done in a phased manner by end of 2021. By March 21, the authorities intend to settle land acquisition and R and R issues at 41.5 meters height at an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore.
Polavaram project chief engineer B. Sudhakar Babu said, “As we are able to complete all major components of the project in a phased manner, we will be executing ECRF dam in a year beginning from January so that we will be able to complete the whole project, include settlement of land acquisition and R and R issues by the end of next year.”
