PNS|ELURU
Minister for Irrigation Ambati Rambabu has made it clear that a decision on whether to carry out repairs to the diaphragm wall of the Polavaram project or reconstruct a new diaphragm wall would be taken based on the experts’ committee report.
Minister Ambati Rmbabu, along with engineers and officials inspected the Polavaram project works at Polavaram on Friday. The NHCC exports and the project engineers explained to the minister the status of the diaphragm wall of the project. Talking to the media on the occasion, the minister said that the three-member expert committee of the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation of the Central government inspected the Polavaram project on January 26 and assessed the damage caused by the floods to the diaphragm wall. The committee would submit its report on the extent of damage to the diaphragm wall in two or three weeks.
“After examining the report and discussing with the engineers, a decision will be taken on whether a new diaphragm wall to be constructed or repairs can be carried out. We can not go forward on the Polavaram project construction works without resolving the diaphragm wall issue,” the minister clarified.
The minister stated that if it is needed to construct a new diaphragm wall, further delay would take place in completing the Polavaram project works, alleging that the erstwhile TDP regime made a historical mistake by constructing the diaphragm wall without constructing a cofferdam. The diaphragm wall plays a significant role in the project works, he added.
While constructing a major irrigation project, all precautions should be taken and high quality should be maintained in the works, he opined. The Minister said that 18,000 houses had been constructed for the Polavaram project evacuees and the R&R package is being extended to the evacuees of Polavaram Project 41.17 contour limits in the first phase.
Since the Polavaram project is a national project, the Centre is to extend funds for the construction of the project. The government has so far spent Rs 3000 crore additionally on the project and the government is going to urge the Centre to reimburse the amount.
Significantly, Minister Ambati Rambabu made it clear that the AP government is vehemently opposing the construction of a project on the Bhadra river on the upper Tungabhadra. Due to the construction of a project on the upper Bhadra river, the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar projects would not get adequate water. The AP would launch a legal battle if the Centre went against the Krishna Water Board tribunal and Bachavat committee recommendations.
Earlier the minister along with NHPC members and Megha corporation engineers inspected the cofferdam, diaphragm wall, jet grounding, and guide bund works. Engineer-in-chief of the Irrigation department Narayana Murthy and other engineers accompanied the minister.
