Polavaram Dam Project, Key Features and Benefit

Polavaram Dam Project, officially called the Polavaram Irrigation Project, is a significant multipurpose infrastructure initiative in Andhra Pradesh, India. The project aims to facilitate irrigation, drinking water supply, and hydroelectric power generation while also addressing inter-basin water transfer.

Polavaram Dam Project

• It is a multi-purpose project on the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh.
• It will facilitate inter-basin water transfer from the Godavari to the Krishna through a link canal.
• The project has been accorded National project status by the Union Government of India (As per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014).
  • Benefit: 90% of the funding for the project will be given by the central government.
• It will submerge a portion of the Papikonda National Park in Andhra Pradesh.
• Tribes facing displacement due to this project: Koya, Konda Reddi and Konda Kamari.

Key Features of Project

Capacity and Benefits

• Designed to store 194 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water and utilize 322 TMC for irrigation and drinking purposes.
• Will irrigate about 7.2 lakh acres of land and provide drinking water to 28.5 lakh people.
• Includes a hydropower component capable of generating 960 MW of electricity​

Current Status

• Construction has faced delays due to issues like funding disputes, technical challenges (e.g., damage to the diaphragm wall), and inadequate rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) of affected families.
• The spillway and its gates are complete, while the right and left canals are 92.75% and 72.81% finished, respectively. However, the main dam’s construction is awaiting the resolution of the diaphragm wall issue​

Challenges

• Technical problems such as flood-induced damage to the diaphragm wall and riverbed seepage have slowed progress.
• Financial constraints and disagreements between the state and central governments on project costs have added delays​

Rehabilitation and Resettlement

• R&R efforts for displaced families are only partially complete (22.36% as of recent updates), which remains a major obstacle for project advancement​

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