Officials of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) raised the height of the upper cofferdam of the Polavaram Project to 44 m. The emergency task was completed within 48 hours.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who conducted an aerial survey to oversee the flood situation on July 15, directed that the height of the upper cofferdam be raised in order to increase its capacity to withstand severe floods.
Following the instructions, MEIL officials launched the work on the same day, and completed the task within two days, said MEIL General Manager M. Muddu Krishna.
The upper cofferdam was built to withstand 28 lakh cusecs of flood. If the inflow is more than the capacity, water will flow over the upper cofferdam. Expecting more inflows, the State government decided to increase the height of the upper cofferdam by one metre.
“Raising of the upper cofferdam’s height was completed with 12,000 cubic metres of rock filling. Sixty dumpers and 20 machines worked for two days to complete the work on the 2.5-km stretch of the cofferdam,” Mr. Muddu Krishna told The Hindu on Monday.
“In 1986, the highest flood of 75.66 feet was recorded in the Godavari at Bhadrachalam, and the officials discharged 36 lakh cusecs from Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage (SAC) at Dowleswaram then. As per records, the flood that occurred in July this year is considered to be the second highest, and the authorities concerned estimated that the Polavaram project may receive 26 lakh cusecs to 30 lakh cusecs of flood, which is why Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy directed that the height of the cofferdam be raised,” the CGM said.
