Special prayers will be performed to different irrigation projects in the State to express respect and gratitude to them for three days beginning September 6 in the programme called “Jalasiriki Haarathi”, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced at the Secretariat on Monday.
The Chief Minister made the announcement at the weekly Polavaram Project dam site virtual inspection review of the progress in the different aspects of the project. He said the programme was an effort to renew the connection of the people with these water resources from which they benefited.
The Haarathi programme would also help in promoting awareness about the valued resource, he told the officials at the meeting. Water Resources Minister D. Umamaheswara Rao, Polavaram Dam Design Committee Chairman A.B. Pandya, Polavaram Committee member Dinesh Bhargava and Secretary for Water Resources Shashi Bhushan Kumar participated.
The officials told Mr. Naidu that 2.5 lakh cubic metres of earth was excavated and 21,226 cubic metres of concrete was laid for the spillway and stilling basin this week and 15 arm girders and all the skin plates of the radial gates were fabricated.
The excavator working on 902 Hill that had broken down would become operational next week ensuring a weekly target of 4.2 lakh cubic metres.
The Chief Minister insisted, “There needs to be a detailed action plan to achieve this target of concrete work. While only 3,050 cubic metres per day is a good average, it must increase to 4,000 to 5,000. Even if it requires more budgeting, work on Polavaram must speed up.”
