Even as the Telugu Desam Party leaders are elated over the Godavari waters entering Krishna district, the much-hyped commencement of operating the first pump on September 16 by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as part of interlinking the rivers will be a formal ceremony, as work on the Polavaram Right Main Canal (RMC) is expected to continue for at least another three months.
Contrary to the tall claims made by Irrigation Department officials about completion of the interlinking of rivers by September 15, the situation at ground level is different. Majority of the Polavaram RMC works are yet to be completed in Krishna district alone.
On Wednesday, the contractor at the Polavaram RMC works used dynamites to blast the rocky terrain at Jakkampudi near Kothur Tadepalli to facilitate canal works. The canal needs to have a bed width of 70 metres and a retaining wall of 40 metres height on either side. At a majority of the locations, the bed width was dug up for only 25 metres.
However, both the contractor and the irrigation officials claimed that the delay in works would not pose any problems for the Godavari waters to reach the Prakasam Barrage. Another task for the contractor taking up works at Jakkampudi is that the canal has to be slightly diverted to avoid any damage to the Sri Anjaneya Swamy temple on the banks. “Considering all these factors, it will take at least two to three months for us to complete the canal works from Velagaleru to Budameru,” said an executive at the site.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders who inspected the site at Surampally near Nunna, said a majority of the work was still incomplete.
“The government was making false claims about completion of works,” said APCC spokesperson Kolanukonda Shivaji.
