Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has stressed the need to fill the gaps in the Polavaram cofferdam and complete the approach channel at the earliest.
At a review meeting on the irrigation projects on Wednesday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the works should be completed before the rainy season, and that the next 45 days were crucial for the excavation of soil and executing the spill channel works.
Filling of gaps in cofferdam would be completed by May, the officilas told the Chief Minister. The approach channel works were going on at a brisk pace and would be completed by May, they said.
The Chief Minister also took stock of the other priority projects such as Nellore and Sangam barrages, Owk Tunnel-2, Veligonda head regulators, Vamsadhara - Nagavali link, and Vamsadhara Phase-2.
Officials told the Chief Minister that the Nellore and Sangam barrages would be completed by May and that the works on Owk Tunnel-2 were progressing fast. Both the tunnels would be ready to carry a total of 20,000 cusecs by August, they added. Works on Veligonda Tunnel-2 would be completed by December.
The Vamsadhara - Nagavali link and Vamsadhara Phase-2 works were set to be finished by July, they added.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to focus on the construction of the Neradi barrage while taking steps for resolving issues with Odisha.
Priority should be given to Mahendratanaya, Madduvalasa Phase-2 and Tarakarama Sagar projects, he said.
Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das, Irrigation Secretary J. Syamala Rao, Principal Secretary (finance) S.S. Rawat and Engineer-in-Chief C. Narayana Reddy were among those present.
