VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Water Resources Ambati Rambabu who inspected the Polavaram project works on Thursday, blamed the previous TDP regime for the delay in the execution of the project. Speaking to mediapersons after reviewing the work progress with engineers, Ambati said the diaphragm wall of the project was damaged during floods in 2020 and 2021 due to faulty planning and execution of the project by the TDP government.
“They had left every aspect of the project incomplete and executed the works in a haphazard manner without proper planning. The first question is how could they construct a diaphragm wall without completing the two cofferdams. Their folly has caused Rs 400 crore loss,” he said, adding that it would take some time for the project to complete, even though the State government is making every effort for its completion at the earliest.
The Water Resources Department, Polavaram Project Authority, Central Water Commission, and other stakeholders should make collective efforts to overcome the hurdles in the completion of the project, he said.
Experts visited the Polavaram project site recently and after submission of their report to the Centre, a decision on how to proceed further with regard to the diaphragm wall we be taken. The State government has sent some designs to address the issue and they need to be considered and approved by the Centre,” he said and opined that recent changes in the designs due to diaphragm wall damage may escalate project costs further.