Rajahmundry: All is set for diversion of floodwater from Godavari river to Krishna delta fr-om the Pattiseema lift irrigation project through the Polavaram irrigation project’s Right Main Canal.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to switch on the button of the electric motor to pump water from the river into the canal at Pattisam village of Polavaram mandal in West Godavari on Wednesday, July 6.
Water resources staff ca-rried out a trial run on all the 24 motors and pumps a few days ago to ascertain whether they are functioning normally to lift the wa-ter and found it was successful.
Initially, one motor will be switched on and subsequently the remaining motors will also be switched on to ensure supply of Godavari water to Krishna delta to help the farmers there to raise crops, mainly paddy, for the kharif season.
This is for the first time that all the 24 pumps would be operated to pump nearly 8,500 cusecs of water through RMC. Once the 24 pumps are on, the lifted water will be transported over a 1.5 km distance through 24 pipelines and the water would be released into the delivery system. From there, the water will flow into RMC by way of gravity.
The authorities faced a tough time to get the RMC through partially, if not completely, as there were several structures to be constructed all along the way.
At present, 40 structures were completed on a temporary basis to facilitate flow of water as incessant rainfall in the last few days hampered the progress of works.
Once the water is released into RMC, it travels all the way up to the Budameru Diversion Channel located at Velagaleru village in Krishna district.
The canal is having a width of 85 metres at its beginning and 73 metres at its end. Cement-concrete lining has yet to be done for the entire canal. This may result in seepage and evaporation of water while passing through the canal.
From BDC, the water has to pass through another stretch of 11.9 km distance to enter Krishna river at Sangamam.
Polavaram RMC superintending engineer B. Srinivasa Yadav said, “Though we are supposed to make RMC ready by July 1, rainfall delayed the works. We have made the canal ready to transport 8,500 cu-secs of water against the full capacity of 17,500 cusecs and it can be done by June, 2017.”
