US and Canadian Experts Visit Andhra Pradesh to Inspect Polavaram Project

Eluru (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 30: Experts in the water resources sector from the United States and Canada visited Andhra Pradesh to inspect the Polavaram project site. The four experts, two each from the US and Canada, met with officials of the Central Water Resources Department in New Delhi before arriving in Rajahmundry city on Saturday night.

The experts include David P Paul and Gain Franco de Sikko from the US, and Richerd Dannelli and Sean Hinch Berger from Canada. They inspected the project site, including the diaphragm wall, the two cofferdams, and the guide bund. They will stay at the project site until July 3 to study the project design and ongoing works.

After their visit, the experts will hold review meetings with officials of the Central Water Resources Department and representatives of the construction organizations. The State Government sought their assistance to assess the actual loss to the project caused by previous faulty decisions.

On Friday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu released a white paper on the Polavaram project, stating that 72% of the project was completed during the TDP regime. The Polavaram Project is an under-construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in the Eluru and East Godavari Districts. It has been accorded National project status by the Central Government of India.

The sixteenth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly began on June 21, with Naidu, Nara Lokesh, and Nandamuri Balakrishna taking oaths as members. Naidu had vowed to return to the Assembly only after becoming Chief Minister. The TDP-BJP-Janasena Party alliance won a landslide victory in the assembly and parliamentary elections, with the TDP holding 135 MLAs, Janasena Party 21, and BJP eight. The opposition YSR Congress Party has 11 MLAs.