VIJAYAWADA: An international panel of dam safety and engineering experts inspecting the ongoing construction of the Earth-Cum-Rock-Fill (ECRF) dam at the Polavaram Irrigation Project has expressed high satisfaction with the pace and quality of execution, remarking that the work is proceeding ‘very well.’
The assessment came during field-level tests conducted in Gap-2 of the dam as part of the team’s technical review.
The expert panel, comprising Richard Donnelly, Gianfranco Di Cicco, Sean Hinchberger, and David Paul, inspected the site alongside Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) Chief Executive Officer Sanjeev Vohra and Member Secretary M Raghuram.
Officials from the Water Resources Department and executing agency Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) briefed the team on the placement of soil and sand.
Focusing heavily on moisture content and compaction strength, the experts directed MEIL personnel to excavate test pits at multiple locations.
In addition to on-site evaluations, the international delegation visited the project-site laboratory managed by MEIL to review material testing protocols. After witnessing live demonstrations and auditing historical testing reports, the experts praised the rigorous quality assurance (QA/QC) mechanisms in place and advised teams to maintain same standard of moving forward.