VIJAYAWADA: There is no damage to the upper cofferdam of the Polavaram Irrigation Project as projected in a section of media and social media, clarified senior engineers of the Water Resources Department.
In a post on X on Saturday, BRS working president KT Rama Rao alleged that the Polavaram cofferdam, part of the national project under the NDA government, had collapsed for the second time. He claimed it sank 7–8 feet over a 10-foot width, and was being repaired covertly on a war footing.
He also questioned whether the National Dam Safety Authority was aware of the issue, implying oversight failure.
When contacted by TNIE, Polavaram project officials denied any damage to the upper cofferdam, calling the claims grossly misrepresented.
They explained that on August 15, the river water level stood at 28.5 metres, while the cofferdam’s top stands at 44 metres. A minor mass slide occurred on a 3-metre by 2-metre section on the downstream side of the cofferdam’s top portion, which was unrelated to water flow, according to an official.
The affected section was promptly repaired, and vehicle movement on the cofferdam, which doubles as a road, continued without disruption. They emphasised that this minor incident has no bearing on the project works, which are progressing at a brisk pace.