Reconstruction of Polavaram diaphragm wall completed, says Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday announced the reaching of another crucial milestone in the construction of the Polavaram irrigation project.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister, describing the project as the lifeline of the State, said construction of the 1,372-metre-long diaphragm wall, considered one of the most critical components of the project, had been completed in a short time-frame.

Congratulating the officials and engineers of the Irrigation Department for achieving the feat, Mr. Naidu expressed gratitude to the central agencies and representatives of the Polavaram Project Authority for their support.

Mr. Naidu noted that the diaphragm wall had to be reconstructed at an additional cost of ₹1,000 crore due to damage caused during the previous (YSRCP) regime, which, he attributed, to negligence. Despite these setbacks, Mr. Naidu said the government remained committed to completing the project on priority.

With the completion of the diaphragm wall, the Chief Minister said that work on the main structure, the Earth-Cum-Rock Fill (ECRF) dam, would gain momentum. He reiterated that the government was moving ahead with a clear plan to expedite all pending works.

Mr. Naidu said the project would be completed and dedicated to the nation before the 2027 Godavari Pushkaralu.

Meanwhile, at Polavaram, Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu felicitated the engineers involved in the construction of the diaphragm wall and distributed sweets to mark the occasion.

The diaphragm wall, which had been constructed during the previous term of the TDP government, was “destroyed” during the tenure of former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Minister said.

The reconstruction of the diaphragm wall was taken up on January 18, 2025, he said, adding that it was completed in 440 days. He also pointed out that after the floods in August 2020 damaged the structure, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced in the Legislative Assembly that the diaphragm wall would be completed by June 2021, December 2021, and again by June 2022, but those timelines were not met.