The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Complete Pulichintala by Sept.: Collector

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 04, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Complete Pulichintala by Sept.: Collector

P. Samuel Jonathan

Contractor not sure of meeting deadline in view of monsoon

— Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

Stock-taking: District Collector B. Ramanujayelu reviewing progress of works at the K.L. Rao Sagar project (Pulichintala) site on Friday.

MADIPADU (GUNTUR Dt.): Guntur district Collector B. Ramanjaneyulu on Friday directed the contractor and irrigation officials to expedite the concrete works at the K.L. Rao Sagar (Pulichintala) project in time to impound 3.8 tmc of water by September this year.

The task, however, could prove to be an arduous one as the works have been progressing at a snail’s pace since this January. With the monsoon setting in most parts of the country, the contractor expressed his apprehension about retaining the strength of the coffer dam in view of the floods arising out of monsoon.

The coffer dam was washed away last year due to heavy flooding in the River Krishna. The Collector accompanied by Joint Collector Gaurav Uppal visited the project site, the first time after assuming office and took stock of the situation. Project Superintendent Engineer S. Satyanarayana and contractor representing Srinivasa Constructions CR18G Sasi Mohan apprised the Collector of the progress. The project was scheduled (revised) to be completed by September 30, 2010.

The Collector, who was visibly unhappy at the pace of works, asked the contractor to hasten the pace of works relating to raising concrete blocks to 36 feet level by the end of July. The height of the dam, with a capacity of storing of 45 TMC, was proposed to be raised to 58 feet. He said the progress of the works would be reviewed every 15 days.

The S.E suggested that cross bunds could be built across the beams and the works relating to raising the height of the boulders could be executed one by one. The Collector also assured that he would provide a crushing unit, provide work force for construction and carpentry works.

As the contractors expressed their helplessness in executing works as the Government had stopped payments, the Collector warned that it would be forced to levy penalty in the form of Liquidity Damages (LD).

The Collector reminded that the district administration had sent back Rs. 20 crore to the State Government due to delay in execution of Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) works.

Giving details of the pace of works executed so far, the S.E said about 3 lakh cubic metres of concrete work out of 5.6 lakh cubic metres was completed, while 1.4 lakh cubic metres out of 2.17 lakh cubic metres of work in the construction of Earthen Dam had been completed.

He also said concrete works relating to raising the height of blocks on the right bank was not progressing on the expected lines.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh