Polavaram Irrigation Project spill channel works resume after six-month-long hiatus

VIJAYAWADA: After a hiatus of about six months due to continuous floods last season, the crucial concreting works of spill channel of Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP) were resumed on Wednesday by the water resources department and Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL).

The officials said that the concreting and other soil works are targeted to be completed by June.

The officials said that the spill channel works had come to a halt in July 2020, due to continuous floods. After the flood receded, MEIL started de-watering the area that was inundated from November by deploying 70 heavy-duty motors and pumped out over 2.5TMC of floodwater back into River Godavari. Later, the contracting agency cleared the area of silt to start soil and concreting works.

“The concreting of CC blocks, each of which is 100 cubic metres capacity, has been resumed. We target to complete the balance works related to the spill channel,” said water resources deputy executive engineer Damodaram and assistant executive engineer Padma Kumar, speaking to the media.

The officials also added that internal roads and soil excavation have also been resumed. According to them, the total scope is 592.9 lakh cubic metres of earthwork excavation and 18.75 lakh cubic metres of concrete block works. 

Of this, the majority of the works have been completed by previous companies. After taking over, MEIL has deployed equipment and completed almost 8 lakh cubic metres of soil excavation and 1.1 lakh of concreting.

The balance of 81.76 lakh cubic metres of earth work excavation and 4.25 lakh cubic metres of CC blocks is expected to be completed in five months. “The target is to complete the balance soil and concrete works by June so that we can complete all the works as stipulated by December, 2021,” the officials added. 

Later, executive director of Andhra Pradesh Generation Corporation (APGENCO) Ltd K Ratna Babu inspected the ongoing works related to the 960 MW hydel power plant.

He said that the works should be taken up at a faster pace and took stock of the progress made so far related to foundation and excavation of hill. 

Chief engineer B Sudhakar Babu, superintending engineer M Nagireddy, MEIL’s associate vice president Mathiazhagan, general manager A Satish babu,  APGENCO officials and others present.