Completion of Polavaram by July 2027
Table of Contents
Source: Deccan Chronicle
Relevance: Programmes and Projects under State Government
Why in News?
- AP CM N. Chandrababu Naidu directed completion of Polavaram by July 2027, six months before the official deadline (Dec 2027).
- Purpose: operational readiness before Godavari Pushkaralu 2027.
- 80% of headworks completed, officials confident of finishing major construction by July 2027.
Strategic Background Of The Polavaram Project
- A National Multipurpose Irrigation Project on the Godavari River.
- Supports irrigation, drinking water, hydropower, and flood mitigation.
- Crucial for Godavari–Krishna delta stability.
- Intended to transform irrigation across East Godavari, West Godavari, Visakhapatnam, and Krishna districts.
Government Push For Early Completion (July 2027)
- CM reviewing progress through regular high-level meetings.
- State approaching Centre for faster fund releases.
- Drawings & designs being processed quickly for CWC approval.
- International experts engaged for technical troubleshooting.
- Multiple central agencies supporting execution of complex components.
Engineering Progress & Project Components
A. Headworks
- 80% completed according to senior officials.
B. Diaphragm Wall Works
- Completed: 50,858 sq.m
- Total: 65,352 sq.m
- Completion: 78%
- Target: February 2026
C. ECRF (Earth-cum-Rockfill) Dam
- Gap-1 embankment (25m → 38.32m): To finish by March 2026
- Gap-2 embankment: Target advanced to July 2027 (original: December 2027)
D. Dam Storage Levels
- Initial height: 41.11 m → 124.2 TMC storage
- Final FRL height: 45.72 m → 194.6 TMC storage
E. Phased Water Filling
Water will be released into the reservoir only after:
- Structural stability checks
- Leakage inspections
- Engineering validation & safety clearance
Irrigation & Command Area Benefits
New Command Area:
- 7.2 lakh acres
Stabilisation of Existing Area:
- 13.5 lakh acres under:
- Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage
- Prakasam Barrage
District-wise Canal Coverage
| Canal | Districts Covered | Area Covered |
| LMC (Left Main Canal) | East Godavari, Visakhapatnam | 4 lakh acres |
| RMC (Right Main Canal) | West Godavari, Krishna | 3.2 lakh acres |
- RMC works almost completed
- LMC works still ongoing
Storage Capacity & Safety Testing
- Filling of reservoir will be gradual.
- Each phase requires:
- Dam stability tests
- Structural integrity review
- Managing seepage risks
- Compliance with national dam safety norms
Land Acquisition Status
- Required: 1,00,099 acres
- Acquired: 91,127 acres
- Remaining: ~9,000 acres to be acquired by March 2026
Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&r)
Total Project Displaced Families (PDF) Identified: 38,060 families
Shifted so far: 14,385 families
Yet to be shifted: 23,675 families
Deadline: March 2027
Housing for PDFs
- Provided: 15,439 households
- Pending: 18,921 households
- Deadline: March 2027
Administrative & Governance Interventions
- Coordination with Central Water Commission for approvals.
- International engineering experts consulted for quality assurance.
- Multi-agency collaboration on major dam components.
- State pushing for accelerated central fund release.
- Regular reviews ensuring adherence to revised construction timelines.
Challenges
- Large pendency in R&R: 23,000+ families
- LMC incomplete → major bottleneck
- Inter-state coordination needed (Telangana & Chhattisgarh)
- Environmental impact & tribal displacement concerns
- Ensuring structural safety during phased filling
- Budgetary constraints
- Seasonal monsoon effects on construction timelines
Way Forward
- Prioritise LMC completion & ECRF Gap-II works
- Strengthen dam monitoring & instrumentation systems
- Speed up acquisition with transparent compensation
- Ensure humane R&R with timely housing delivery
- Improve cooperation with Centre for approvals & fund flow
- Deploy real-time dashboards for public accountability
Care Mcq
Q. With reference to the Polavaram Irrigation Project, consider the following statements:
- The Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of Polavaram is 45.72 metres.
- The Left Main Canal covers a larger area than the Right Main Canal.
- The Diaphragm Wall works are scheduled for completion in 2027.
- The project aims to stabilise more than 10 lakh acres of existing command area.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) One
(b) Two
(c) Three
(d) All fourAnswer: (c) Three
Statement 1: The Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of Polavaram is 45.72 metres. Correct
- At this height, the dam stores 194.6 TMC of water.
Statement 2: The Left Main Canal covers a larger area than the Right Main Canal. Correct
- Left Main Canal (LMC) → Covers 4 lakh acres (East Godavari + Visakhapatnam)
- Right Main Canal (RMC) → Covers 3.2 lakh acres (West Godavari + Krishna)
Since 4 lakh acres > 3.2 lakh acres, LMC covers a larger area.
Statement 3: The Diaphragm Wall works are scheduled for completion in 2027. Incorrect
- Diaphragm Wall works are targeted to be completed by February 2026.
- 2027 is the early completion deadline for ECRF Gap-II, NOT the D-wall.
Statement 4: The project aims to stabilise more than 10 lakh acres of existing command area. Correct
- The project will stabilise 13.5 lakh acres under:
- Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage
- Prakasam Barrage
13.5 lakh > 10 lakh, so the statement is correct.
Therefore, Statement 4 is correct.
