Kakinada: Irrigation Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu has said the state government is expediting the Polavaram works with the aim of commissioning the project by 2027. The diaphragm wall works would be completed by the end of December, 2025.
The diaphragm wall cutter works have been completed for 202 metres by April 20 and cutter-3 works would be completed by the end of April-2025, he told the media at Rajamahendravaram on Monday.
He said the new diaphragm wall works at a cost of Rs.990 crore started on January 18 and were progressing on a war-footing. “The former government left unpaid pending bills of Rs.18,000 crore to the Irrigation department. It did not pay the salaries for Luskhars for a year. The present government cleared the arrears and new works are being taken up. The new diaphragm wall is getting set at a fast pace with works on two cutters and two gutters being expedited.”
Rama Naidu said the works would not be stopped even in the rainy season. Meanwhile, the upper copper dam would be strengthened by completing the buttress dam by the end of May. The Earth-Cum-Rock-Fill dam works started in April at Gap-1 and the ECRF dam works would start at Gap-2 by November 30.
Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh, MLAs Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary, Adireddy Srinivas (TD), Bathula Bala Ramakrishna (Jana Sena) and RUDA chairman Boddu Venkata Ramana Chowdary were present.
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