The State government has claimed that substantial progress has been achieved in the construction of the Polavaram project in the last 19 months in spite of the COVID-19 crisis and the floods in the Godavari in August 2020, and it is poised to be completed by the end of the current calendar year.
According to an official release, the entire concrete work on the spillway pillars and slabs will be completed by the end of February. Of the total 48 radial gates, nine have been erected, and the remaining will be in place by April.
All the 170 spillway bridge concrete girders have been placed in 18 months. The construction of 40 out of 48 spillway bridge slabs have been completed during the period.
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Rehabilitation works
According to the release, the construction of over 11,000 houses for the project-displaced families has been completed and rehabilitation of 17,860 families will be done by May. The coffer dam construction will be completed by June.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is personally monitoring the project, which will irrigate nearly three lakh hectares in East Godavari, Krishna, Visakhapatnam and West Godavari districts.
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It is proposed to supply 23.44 tmcft of water for drinking purpose to several villages around Visakhapatnam and also meet the requirement of the steel plant through the left main canal. The project comprises a hydro power plant of 960 MW capacity (12 units of 80 MW each).