5/5 Swamy B. 3 years ago on Google
Preamble
The
Polavaram
Irrigation
Project
is
a
Multipurpose
one
conferring
Irrigation
benefits
in
the
upland
areas
of
Visakhapatnam,
East
Godavari,
West
Godavari
and
Krishna
Districts.
It
also
envisages
drinking
water
supply
to
Visakhapatnam
Township
and
other
towns
and
villages
enroute
and
Industrial
water
supply
to
the
Visakhapatnam
coast
based
Steel
Plant
and
other
industries
in
the
vicinity,
generation
of
Hydal
Power,
affording
Navigation
facilities,
development
of
pisciculture
and
providing
recreation
and
other
benefits,
besides
urbanisation.
The
Project
also
provides
diversion
of
2,27
T.
M.Cum
(80
TMC
ft.)
of
Godavari
Waters
to
Krishna
Basin.
The
Project
is
located
in
Andhra
Pradesh
near
Polavaram
village
about
34
KMs.
(21
Miles)
upstream
of
Kovvur
-
Rajahmundry
Road
and
42
KM.
(26
Miles)
upstream
of
Sir
Arthur
Cotton
Barrage,
at
Longitude
81°-39'
46"
E
and
Latitude
17°-16'
53"
N.
The
Polavaram
Project
is
essentially
a
diversion
scheme
and
estimated
for
Rs.
2,665/-Crores
(with
1985-86
rates).
The
revised
estimated
cost
is
Rs.
16010.45
Crores
(with
2010-11
price
level).
An
Index
Plan
and
the
Salient
Features
of
the
Project
are
appended.
HISTORY
OF
THE
PROJECT:
A
pronounced
interest
for
Multipurpose
Project
on
the
River
Godavari
was
felt
during
the
early
forties
and
the
Ramapadasagar
Project
Report
prepared
in
1951
was
an
outcome
of
that.
For
some
reason
or
the
other
no
investigations
for
a
reservoir
across
the
Godavari
was
made
previously,
till
1941.
In
the
year
1870
Lt-Col.
Haig,
Superintending
Engineer,
sent
a
report
for
the
formation
of
reservoir
across
the
River
Sokileru
(a
tributary
of
the
Sabari)
to
irrigate
an
area
of
about
7,300
Hectares
(18,000
acres).
Mr.
Walch,
in
the
year
1896
in
his
book
"The
Engineering
Works
of
the
Godavari
Delta"
wrote
that
there
are
sites
on
some
of
the
large
affluents
of
the
Godavari
where
storage
can
be
affected
at
a
cost
not
prohibitory,
but
did
not
contemplate
a
dam
across
the
main
Godavari
River.
Early
in
1941,
Shri
L.
Venkatakrishna
Iyer,
the
then
Cheif
Engineer
for
Irrigation,
put
up
definite
proposal
for
a
storage
Reservoir
on
the
main
Godavari
River
itself
near
Polavaram.
After
detailed
investigation,
the
Ramapadasagar
Project
Report
was
finalised.
The
Ramapada
Sagar
Project
as
contemplated
consists
of
i)
a
dam
130.0
m
(428
ft.)
high
at
the
deepest
portion,
ii)
a
canal
209
K.M.
(130
Miles)
long
on
the
left
side
emptying
into
the
Vizag
Port.
iii)
a
canal
of
200
K,M<
(124
Miles)
long
on
the
right
side
upto
the
Krishna
River
and
(after
crossing
it
by
an
aqueduct)
another
143
K.
M.
(89
miles)
long
upto
the
Gundlakamma
river,
and
iv
a
hydro-electric
power
station
to
develop
150
Mega-watts
of
Firm
power.
The
total
cost
of
the
Project
was
then
estimated
for
Rs.
129/-
Crores.
Because
of
great
depths
of
alluvium
on
one
flank,
sands
on
the
other
and
with
acceptable
rock
available
at
great
depths,
the,
scheme
worked
out
to
be
very
costly
and
therefore
did
not
fructify
due
to
financial
constraints
and
construction
difficulties.
The
extra-ordinary
floods
in
the
Godavari
River
during
August
1953
and
the
urgent
needs
of
Visakhapatnam
Steel
Plant
stressed
the
need
for
a
barrage
on
the
main
river.
Various
agreements
have
also
been
reached
between
the
neighbouring
states
for
sharing
Godavari
Waters
and
for
construction
of
the
Polavaram
Project
with
a
FRL
45.72
M
(150.00
ft,).
Accordingly
detailed
investigation
of
the
Polavaram
Irrigation
Project
was
taken-up
in
1976
and
Project
Report
was
first
presented
in
1978.
With
further
investigations
and
also
based
on
the
Comments
of
Central
Water
Commission
on
1978
and
1982
Project;
Reports,
the
Project
report
was
finalized,
in
1986
for
estimated
cost
of
Rs.
2665
Crores
(with
1985-86
rates).
Investigation
clearance
was
accorded
by
the
Planning
Commission,
for
revised
cost
of
Rs.
16010.45
Crores
(with
2010-11
price
level).
2 people found this review helpful 👍
