Design consultant AFRY India Pvt. Ltd. submitted its designs for the diaphragm wall of the Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP) on Monday (October 21).
The Water Resources Department (WRD) will place the designs before Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu shortly. WRD Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu and department officials will discuss the designs and other details with the Chief Minister at the earliest.
The designs submitted by the consultancy will be discussed at a workshop in November. The Central Water Commission (CWC) and a team of foreign experts will have to approve the designs by November 15, officials said.
The Water Resources Department has chalked out plans to complete works on a new diaphragm wall for the Polavaram project by November 2025. Officials have planned to begin the construction works in December this year. The WRD has set a target of completing the Polavaram Irrigation Project by July 2027.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ramanaidu held a video conference on the status of the Veligonda, Handri-Neeva, Polavaram, and Polavaram Left Canal projects in the State, on Monday.
Regarding the Polavaram project, Mr. Ramanaidu said that the diaphragm wall construction would soon begin. The previous YSRCP government failed to allocate any funds for the Polavaram Left Canal over the past five years, questioning their right to comment on the project, he said, adding that the government was committed to completing the Polavaram Left Canal at any cost to ensure drinking and irrigation water for the people of Uttarandhra.
The Minister stated that the Veligonda Project could not be completed due to the negligence of the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government.
Discussing the key issues hindering the progress of the Veligonda project, the Minister said a wall needs to be constructed between the two regulators of the Veligonda project. Nearly 4 lakh cubic metres of soil from tunnel excavation need to be transported to Kotturu. Additionally, only 15 metres of lining work is pending in the first tunnel, and in the second tunnel, 5 km of benching and 7 km of lining work are yet to be completed, he said.
Mr. Ramanaidu raised concerns about past mismanagement, noting that the head regulator works were assigned to a non-local contractor from Kadapa, who abandoned the project halfway.
Further, the Minister emphasised the importance of the Handri-Neeva canal expansion and lining works, which will commence in November. These projects are vital for Rayalaseema districts, and efforts will be made to bring water to the Kuppam branch canal, he said and asked the officials to prepare detailed plans and schedules for these works.
The Minister has ordered detailed reports on the pending works and cost estimates, urging officials to speed up the completion of these critical projects.
Published - October 21, 2024 09:32 pm IST
