Vijayawada:Construction of a new diaphragm wall for the Polavaram irrigation project in Eluru district would begin in a fortnight’s time and the works would be completed by December this year.
The water resources department has mobilised machinery and completed the preparatory works. It would construct the new D-wall at a length of 1,400 metres, with the width at 1.5 metres and a depth of five to 90 metres. This would reach up to the rock in the bottom of the river bed.
The new D-wall will be erected six metres away from the old and damaged D-wall, towards the upstream of River Godavari.
Though the executing agency aimed to complete the construction work by March, 2026, chief minister Chandrababu Naidu recently, while on a visit, asked the agency to expedite the works and complete it before the year-end.
The executing agency will set up panels and excavate soil and fill the space up with plastic cement so that the D-wall “will become a strong foundation” like the structure for construction of the earth-cum-rock-fill dam on it.
The water authorities are also planning to simultaneously take up works on the earth-cum-rock-fill dam Gap-1 along with new D-wall during March/April. They are also getting ready to start the works at the upstream cofferdam to avoid seepage of water during construction of the ECRF dam, especially during the flood season in the Godavari from July to November.
Polavaram project chief engineer Narasimha Murthy said, “We would start the new D-wall works by the second week of January. All the requisite arrangements have been completed.”
Meanwhile, the parliamentary standing committee of the Union ministry of Jal Shakti would visit the Polavaram project on January 11 to inspect the progress of the works.
