VIJAYAWADA: The Centre for Liberty has alleged serious engineering flaws and violations of safety standards in the construction of the Polavaram project, describing them as a grave threat to the state’s lifeline.
At a press conference in Vijayawada on Monday, the organisation presented documentary evidence and expert reports to highlight the risks.
Nalamotu Chakravarthy, through a detailed presentation, pointed to five critical failures: defects in the diaphragm wall due to concrete bleeding, unauthorised reduction of wall height, unsafe alterations to Gap-I trench depth, neglect of the spillway guide bund damaged in 2023, and manipulation of excavation figures leading to a halt in approach channel works.
Chairman A.B. Venkateswara Rao criticised the lack of coordination among agencies such as the CWC, PoE, and contractors, arguing that the absence of accountability has led to repeated failures. He questioned who would take responsibility if the diaphragm wall itself were to collapse.
The organisation demanded immediate corrective measures, including the appointment of an independent international expert committee to test the diaphragm wall, deployment of independent quality control agencies, slowing down dam works until safety is assured, prioritising guide bund repairs, and ensuring transparency by publishing daily concrete reports and CSL test results.
They also called for strict action against those responsible for the 2023 guide bund failure. He said if these violations are ignored, it will approach the Supreme Court seeking a safety audit to safeguard people living downstream of the project.