Vijayawada, June 2:Andhra Pradesh Minister for Water Resources P Anil Kumar Yadav Today directed the officials and engineers to expedite the construction works of the Polavaram project, being constructed across the river Godavari, and ensure that water is released for the kharif crop in 2022.
The minister inspected the on-going works of the Polavaram project at Polavaram village in West Godavari district on Wednesday and held a review meeting with the officials.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister informed that 73.45 per cent headwork of the Polavaram project had been completed while 75.03 per cent main dam project works and 61.22 per cent connectivity package works had also been completed.
The minister said that 51.73 per cent left canal connectivity works, 72.81 per cent right canal connectivity works, 70.09 per cent left main canal works and 91.69 per cent right main canal works had been completed so far.
The minister directed the officials to take steps to complete the remaining works of the project at the earliest. The minister also directed the officials to complete the construction of toilets and provide electricity and drinking water to the L&D colony by June 15.
Earlier, the minister inspected the construction works of the main dam, approach channel, dam crest gates, cofferdam, rock fill dam and spill channel. MLA T Balaraju, Polavaram project special officer Anand and Engineer-in-chief C Narayana Reddy were among those who accompanied the minister.
Later talking to the media, the minister informed that five engineers and a total of 80 staff in the Irrigation Department, who worked on the Polavaram project, had died due to Covid. Even during the lockdown thousands of workers were still working on the project bravely. Thousands of migrant workers from other states had gone to their homelands last year in the wake of the pandemic, he said.(UNI)