Polavaram Project Progresses at a Brisk Pace

/ -- As the work progresses at a fast pace, the Polavaram Project site has got a new life with nearly 5000 workers working day and night, under the guidance of experts and engineers using heavy sophisticated technology to complete 3.07 lakh cubic meters of concrete work in a record span of 7-8 months. Taking a cue from the determination of State Government, Megha Engineering Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) is placing all its resources and energy on this mega multipurpose project on the Godavari River. The construction site of this prestigious project has got a festive look with the bristling activity by workers, deployment of heavy machines and continuous movement of vehicles, setting aside all the lull over the last few years. Started more than a decade ago, the project work initially moved at a snail pace, unable to maintain the requisite speed for scheduled completion of the project.

 

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is very keen on completing this project at a much faster pace. The intention is to stop the drain of Godavari water and help the farmers to get more irrigation water in the shortest possible time. Accordingly, the Chief Minister is regularly monitoring the project work. He is planning to visit the project site on 27th February to personally observe the progress and provide needed guidance to bring further momentum to ongoing work.

Mr. A. Sathish Babu, General Manager, MEIL said, "Project work has now reached a critical stage as it is intended to complete the work related to the main reservoir including the Spillway, Earth cum Rockfill Dam by 2021 Kharif season. MEIL has designed a work plan with specific milestones for these tasks as per the target given by the Chief Minister. If all goes on well as the plan, we would be able to complete the targeted work by June 2021. Tasks related to 53 blocks of Spillway are more critical among them; MEIL has placed sophisticated modern technology and required engineering manpower to complete the task at scheduled time. Required arrangements were also made to complete the earth and concrete work as per monthly targets."

MEIL has awarded this project in reverse tendering process, enabling a saving of Rs. 628 crores to the State Government. Though the project was re-initiated in November last year, they could not gain expected momentum with unforeseen floods in Godavari River that lasted for many more days, resulting in the accumulation of nearly 4 TMCs of water at the construction site. Roads in the project site were heavily damaged as the whole area got submerged underwater. It took nearly 3 months for MEIL to de-water the area and re-construct the roads for creating the work area. The project had taken a new pace since February as all such obstacles have been addressed.

Once completed, the Polavaram Project would provide irrigation for 1.30 Lakh acres in East and West Godavari Districts and it would divert 80 TMCs of Krishna water and stabilize 13 Lakh acres of Ayacut in Delta Area during Rabi season, apart from providing irrigation to 1.60 Lakh acres through Left Canal. The project would also provide 23.44 TMCs of drinking water to Vishakhapatnam city.

Concrete work on a fast pace

The critical spillway of the reservoir contained 53 blocks, each with a height of 55 meters and nearly 2.5 Lakhs cubic meters of total concrete work. It would take 4 days to construct one-meter height. Intensive work is underway to increase the height of 12 blocks every day. By the end of January 2020, MEIL completed 25000 cubic meters, overcoming all the obstacles due to the floods. The work gained further momentum to complete 40000 cubic meters by February. The company is planning to improve the pace to complete 50000 cubic meters of work in March. MEIL has set a deadline to complete 2.05 Lakh cubic meters work during April-June. Considering the complexity of the work when the height increases, the company has placed the required technology to address all the problems.

Concrete work of Pears in Spillway Block is going on a brisk pace with a target of 1500 cubic meters of work per day. Basement work of Earth cum Rockfill Dam have been already initiated. The reservoir has 3 critical divisions consisting of Gap, Spillway, and Earth cum Rock-fill Dam. Gap-3 is a small concrete dam with a length of 150 meters. Gap-2 will have an Earth cum Rock-fill Dam with a length of 1.75 Kms. Gap -1 would also have an Earth cum Rock-fill Dam with a length of 450 meters. Lengthwise, this reservoir is the first of its kind in both the Telugu States; it requires a huge quantity of material for concrete and earthwork construction.

Tests for Rock-fill Dam

While preliminary technical estimates are already completed, Vibro compaction tests for evaluating hardness of sand deep in the river are being carried out. Coffer Dam work at the upper and lower end of the project are completed, which would enable diverting floodwater and avoid any interruptions for the project work with unforeseen floods. Preparations have been made to initiate Gap-1 work related to Diaphragm wall concrete.

MEIL targets to complete the project by mid-2021

Mr. A. Sathish Babu explained about the MEIL targets to complete the project, "Spillway concrete work would be completed by June 2020. Bridge work of the spillway would be finished by the end of August, and channel bridge work would be over by May 2021. As the designs of these work are approved, they are being taken up at a fast pace. All the work related to Divide Wall, Training Wall and Guide Wall would be completed by May end this year. The entire project has a total concrete work of 3.07 Lakhs cubic meters. MEIL intended to complete this within the next 7 months, well before the onset of floods in the Godavari. Other tasks like project coating, surface dressing, and road finishing would be completed by August 2021."

About MEIL

Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL) established in 1989, is one of the fastest growing infra companies in India. Over the years, MEIL has constructed numerous structures like large civil constructions, oil and gas pipelines, pump houses, large water treatment plants, dams, reservoirs, power transmission lines, power generation units, tunnels - and all of them have an important role to play in improving the quality of life of the common man for many years into the foreseeable future.

For more information, please visit: http://meil.in/

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1094928/Ongoing_work_at_Polavaram_Site.