CM Jagan Sets Year-End Deadline For Completion Of Polavaram Project

CM Y.S Jagan directed officials to focus on timely completion of land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (LARR) for the Polavaram Project. He also told water resources officials to prepare a plan of action to finish the project by June 2021.

He also said work on the spillway and approach channel should be completed by June this year so water can be diverted through them to enable the construction of an earth-cum-rockfill dam (ECRF) even during the flooding season.

Jagan visited the project site on Friday and conducted an aerial survey before holding a comprehensive review meeting. He noted that the action plan must be prepared taking into account previous mistakes.

The CM also reviewed the status of the designs and funds to be released from the Centre.

Jagan directed officials to immediately start relief and rehabilitation work so people from the region can be evacuated to safer places even before project is completed.

About 17,000 project displaced families (PDFs) would have to be rehabilitated before the completion of the first phase (+41.15m) of the project, said the officials. Since villages would be inundated once the cofferdams are ready, the CM asked the officials to prioritise R&R work.

Reddy further added that an IAS official was exclusively appointed for LARR and instructed the officials to be humanitarian while going about the R&R work.

He said an official should be completely entrusted with the work of liaising with the Central government for getting clearance for the designs and follow-up action for execution.

While saying that silting due to floods during the previous season was the reason for the delay in work on the project, the CM asked the officials to complete the right and left canal on time.

The officials said the right canal would be completed in three months and work on the left is being taken up in two phases.

Also, the CM proposed to name the bridge, to be built in front of the spillway, as ‘YSR Gateway’. Jagan asked the officials to finalise the design and proceed. During the TDP’s rule, the bridge was proposed to be an iconic structure, and the then government wanted to promote it as a tourist spot once ready.