Nothing happened to diaphragm wall in 2019 floods
Destruction in 2020 floods
No damage study till 2023
AP Govt white paper on Polavaram
First phase completed by June 2028

Galla S Kiran Kumar, Bureau Chief

Today, Amaravati: Polavaram project was completely destroyed during Jagan’s government. From July 2020 to June 2024, no work was done on the main dam and diaphragm wall. It is said that due to changing the monopolist, funds have been saved with reverse tenders, but after giving additional works to the same monopolist, an additional burden of Rs.2,268 crores has been incurred. Diaphragm wall was damaged due to failure to fill gaps in upper coffer dam in time. The main dam area is filled with chasms. The project has been destroyed,” said the white paper issued by the Andhra Pradesh government on the Polavaram project on Friday. Diaphragm wall was not damaged in 2019 Godavari floods. This destruction happened in the heavy floods of 2020. But the study was not done till January 2023,” the document explained. It is said that if the contractor is not changed, the first phase of the project will be completed by Kharif 2020. “Currently, in the first phase, we are estimating that we will be able to provide water through the right and left canals by June 2028 by maintaining the water level at +41.15 meters,” she announced. Other points in the white paper include:

• During the Jagan government, the progress of civil works of the project was only 3.84 percent. No work has been done in the left and right canals except for the payment of some pending bills. The works of child canals have not started yet. DPR is also not finalised.
• Fund allocations and expenditure are finite. Flood disputes with Chhattisgarh and Odisha remain unresolved. There is no progress in the approval of the second DPR in line with the 2017-18 prices.

Polavaram Authority angry over change of owner

The meeting held on 13 August 2019 by the Polavaram Authority expressed strong objections to the Jagan government’s decision to change the monopoly agency in Polavaram. The objections are as follows.

• It took the AP government from 2009 to 2013 to decide the contractor for the Polavaram Head Works. If you change the contractor again, the same problem may occur. It will take ten months to get the work up to speed. It may lead to delay of the entire project. Defect liability for two years and maintenance liability for five years cannot be imposed on the monopolist due to change of owner. This creates unexpected complications. Even if the construction cost is saved, the project is delayed and the benefits are delayed. Premature termination of the contract with the monopolist will result in additional cost for the compensation to be provided to them.
• Polavaram Authority has written a letter to the state government to cancel the tenders and hold reverse tenders keeping in mind the interests of the project. However, Jagan’s government has changed the monopoly. Megha handed over the work to the company.
• Although it was concluded that Rs.628.47 crores were saved in the name of reverse tenders, two fresh tenders were called after identifying some additional items including changes in some specifications and other works during the implementation of these works. Those two tender works were given to Megha Sansthanam. Due to this, an additional burden of Rs 2,268.68 crore has fallen instead of Rs 628.47 crore which was said to have been saved through reverse.
• IIT Hyderabad has given a report on the reasons behind the delay in this project. This report has been prepared under the directives of NITI Aayog. The committee concluded that the reasons were change of contractor, insufficient work done, strategic planning, lack of coordination and frequent changes of designs. The committee stated that the massive flood of 22 lakh cusecs in 2020 destroyed three places at the main dam and the lower coffer dam and concluded that this happened because the gaps in the upper coffer dams were not closed in time.
• All the funds reimbursed by the Center for the Polavaram project were not spent on the same project again. Thus, Rs.3,385.58 crores were diverted instead of being spent on this project. As on May 31, 2024, bills of Rs.2,697 crore are pending from the Centre.
• It is estimated that the flood in 2019 will not exceed 15 lakh cusecs. As per decision of Polavaram Authority it was decided not to close the upper coffer dam gaps before that flood. They also studied how fast the flood would come if left like that. Based on these studies and flood forecasts, it was decided not to fill the upper cofferdam gaps till that season. During the flood season of 2019, there was a flood of 13.95 lakh cusecs without any damage to the diaphragm wall.
• As of June 2020, the gaps in the upper coffer dam have not been closed. During the 2020 flood season, a heavy flood of 22 lakh cusecs caused damage to the diaphragm wall and other destructions.
• Later the National Hydropower Corporation conducted a study on the condition of the diaphragm wall. It has been determined where and how much destruction has taken place. It was concluded that the lower coffer dam cut-off was also destroyed. National Hydropower Corporation has conducted a study in the months of January and February 2023 in case of destruction in 2020 floods. It said that only the damaged part of the diaphragm wall should be repaired and the remaining part can be used safely.
• The contracting agencies, Megha and Bawar companies, did not agree to guarantee the performance of the structure after the repairs of the diaphragm wall. Bauer India Limited has suggested that a new diaphragm wall be constructed along the river. Megha Company also expressed the same opinion. Central water body should take a decision on this.
• From July 2020 to June 2024, all the diaphragm wall and main dam works are frozen. On the other hand, the presence of excess seepage in the upper and lower coffer dams has not been controlled so far.
• Doubts were also raised over the quality of work done on the main dam Gap 1. It was concluded that additional treatment measures are required to carry out those tasks. As the design treatment measures have not been finalised, those works have not progressed. The guide bund above the spillway collapsed. All that needs to be fixed.
• If the project plan is implemented properly without changing the contractor, the project would have been completed in Kharif 2020. After that the project was extended till June 2023 with ineffective planning.
• Polavaram Authority has decided to engage the services of Afri India Limited and international experts to solve the Polavaram challenges. Designs proposed by Afri India Limited should be approved in coordination with international consultants appointed by Polavaram Authority. All remaining works in Polavaram are likely to be completed in four years. Rehabilitation works to +41.15 m level are likely to be completed by 2026.
• All the works are expected to be completed by June 2028 to supply water to the right and left main canals by filling 115.43 TMCs of water up to +41.15 meters level. We will fill the water to the level of +45.72 meters and carry out the rehabilitation of that level in phases. The cost of completing the remaining works of the first phase of the project is Rs.12,157 crores.

A huge loss with poor planning

• Gaps in Upper Coffer Dam not completed in due time. Villages that would be inundated after the completion of the upper coffer dam were not rehabilitated. Approach channel to spill way, approach channel progress to right and left head regulators is poor. The result is severe damage to the main dam diaphragm wall and cut off wall. The lower coffer dam was damaged. Chasms formed where the main dam was to be built. The necessary measures to overcome these obstacles have not been finalised. As a result, no work on major dams was started.
• The contractor was suddenly changed during the crucial work. Central Government, Central Jalshakti, Polavaram authority ignored the instructions. All these heavy losses occurred due to delay in mobilization of new agency personnel and machinery.

Then progress.. regression under Jagan’s rule

Today, Amaravati: The construction of the Polavaram project between 2014-19 was a golden age with good progress during the TDP government, but between 2019-24, it went backwards during the Jagan government. These calculations are proof of that. When the work was not done, the project fell into uncertainty as to when it would be completed. The way things were done during the two governments…