VIJAYAWADA: The action plan drawn up by the State government and Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) in advance helped during the recent heavy flooding as there was minimal interruption in the execution of Polavaram Irrigation project works.
On Tuesday, according to the infrastructure firm, works continued uninterrupted even as the discharge was 19 lakh cusecs.
Works usually get suspended every year for about two months during the flood seasons. This time, the state water resources department and MEIL identified the works to be taken up during the flood season in advance and kept workers and necessary machinery ready to carry out the works.
“At Polavaram, the Godavari River received a maximum flood of 21 lakh cusecs. Even during this period of massive flood, the project works continued.
We used the time to ready the girders and set them up, constructing the concrete dam and diaphragm wall. Since MEIL has taken over the project, two lakh cubic meters of concrete work on the spillway and one lakh cubic meters of work on a spill channel has been completed,” MEIL’s general manager and project in-charge Satish Babu Angara said in a statement on Tuesday.
Heavy rains lashed the State, especially Polavaram area between August 12 and August 20. “As a precautionary measure, MEIL has halted the works during this period. As soon as the rains subsided, the works resumed as initially planned despite massive floods. The company has taken all the possible safety measures. Body safety belts and other safety equipment were provided and the company has engaged four swimmers in two boats for the immediate rescue in case of an accident,” the in-charge explained.