Vijayawada: The cost of construction of the Polavaram irrigation project has to be revised upward again, with its dam height planned at 45.72 metres and the necessity to take up restoration works for the damaged components.
The previous estimates were of Rs 55,548 crore, based on the 2017-2018 price level.
The components of the project like diaphragm wall, cofferdams both upstream and downstream, the earth-cum-rock-fill dam Gap-1 and 2, the caved-in guide bund at spillway etc had been damaged.
Water resources authorities have to take up repair/restoration works involving huge sums.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu during his recent visit to the project site, admitted that the cost might go up to Rs 900 crore to construct a new D-wall replacing the damaged one, apart from the need for Rs 2,000 crore to restore the ECRF Gap-1. There would also be cost escalation for the engineering works, he said.
The project cost based on the dam’s height fixation at 41.15 metres is pegged at nearly Rs 30,636 crore in phase-1 of the works. For this, approval from the Union Cabinet is necessary. The balance amount of Rs 12,157 crore is yet to be released by the Centre.
The land acquisition as also the resettlement and rehabilitation of the project-affected families are yet to be completed.
Naidu announced that it might take nearly four years to complete the entire project. The state water resources department would take up the repair/restoration of damaged components and has to settle LA and R & R.
In this situation, the authorities say the rates of the land for acquisition and the cost of construction of houses and development of amenities at R and R colonies will majorly go up in the coming years. This is in addition to the major task of repair/restoration of the damaged components.
The authorities have not yet estimated the revised cost of the project. “We are focussing more on repair/restoration works of the damaged components of the project,” they say.
Meanwhile, the Polavaram Project Authority has roped in international consultants for a study on the damaged components. A team of four consultants are arriving at the project site on June 30 and they would recommend designs.
The AP government has also engaged an international agency called AFRY to recommend designs. Once the agencies submit their designs, the central water commission would study these for their approval. After this, the state water resources authorities can take up repair/restoration of the damaged components.
The water resources authorities say they can start the work on the project only from November to June next year. July to October is when the Godavari river is flooded and no civil works can be taken up.
Polavaram project in-charge chief engineer Narasimha Murthy said, “There is a need to revise the Polavaram project cost upwards but we are now focussing more on completion of the project’s phase-1 by getting new designs from international agencies for certain damaged components of the project.”
