VISAKHAPATNAM: Carved through the Eastern Ghats with tunnels, aqueducts and a siphon beneath the Yeleru river, the 213-km Polavaram Left Main Canal will finally carry Godavari waters into North Andhra on Wednesday.
Around 5.23 lakh people and 2.87 lakh acres of ayacut across four districts are set to benefit from the release of Godavari waters. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will release the Godavari waters by operating the regulator at Payakaraopeta in Anakapalli district, and perform ‘Jala Harathi’ at Sitarampuram.
The release will provide an additional source of water for irrigation and drinking purposes in the region, with Anakapalli among the first districts to benefit. About 1.5 lakh acres of ayacut in the district is expected to receive irrigation support, while an action plan has been prepared to use the water to fill the Yeleru canal and 110 tanks.
The water will flow through the Left Main Canal across the Yeleru, Pampa, Tandava, Varaha and Sharada river systems. It is also expected to stabilise 1.48 lakh acres in the Pushkara irrigation zone, including 80,700 acres under the Yeleru ayacut and 12,000 acres under the Pampa ayacut. Another 46,620 acres in the Tandava, Varaha and Mamidi Gedda zones are proposed to be stabilised.
The release marks the utilisation of a major component of the Polavaram project intended to carry Godavari waters towards the northern districts. The Left Main Canal, including its drinking water canals, extends for about 213 km and has so far involved an expenditure of Rs 4,192 crore. It was designed to utilise 23.44 TMC of Godavari water for irrigation, drinking and industrial requirements, with the original plan envisaging irrigation benefits for four lakh acres.
Constructing the canal involved negotiating the difficult terrain of the Eastern Ghats and building tunnels, siphons and aqueducts at several locations. At the Yeleru river, engineers constructed a siphon to carry the canal water below the riverbed. At Pampa, an aqueduct was built across the river, with its foundations supported by 312 piles reaching 30 metres into the ground.
A 447-metre-long aqueduct with six vents has been constructed across the Tandava river. The structure is designed to carry a flow of up to 10,634 cusecs. The project also required resolution of the long-pending Thallapalem land dispute. As part of the process, 472 families were rehabilitated to facilitate the canal works.
The government plans to further expand the Left Main Canal and link it with the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project to extend Godavari water to the upland areas of Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam and Srikakulam districts.
The proposed linkage is aimed at extending irrigation and drinking water supplies beyond the existing canal command areas. The two projects, once interconnected, are expected to have the potential to provide water for irrigation and drinking purposes to around eight lakh acres across Uttarandhra.
Also, tight security arrangements have been put in place for the Chief Minister’s visit to Payakaraopeta, with Anakapalli police under the leadership of SP Tuhin Sinha completing Advanced Security Liaison at the field level.
Around 1,600 personnel, including 3 Additional SPs, 9 DSPs, 36 CIs, 90 SIs, 150 ASIs/Head Constables, 427 constables, 150 women constables and 249 HGs have been deployed.
