User:Varun jilla

Polavaram is a major project on the Godavari River named after the closest town in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. It is estimated to cost some Rs 9,265 Crores ($2,131 million) but recently the Chief Minister put this as high as 20,000 Crores ($4,590 million). The Polavaram project, which is now proposed to be implemented with certain modifications, was conceived more than 50 years back. Its design is outdated and does not fully take into consideration the damage likely to be caused to the ecology, environment, wild life and human habitations and many changes that have taken place in the society over the years.

The Project

The central part of the Polavaram project is the barrage constructed straight across the Godavari River some 15 km north of Rajmundhry in East Godavari district. The barrage will be constructed at a level of 150 feet (47 meters) and raise the water along the river stretch upstream in Godavari and several of its tributaries. The submersion will stretch along the Sabari River, a tributary to Godavari, up to the borders of Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

Canal System

The Right Main Canal will supply of 80 tmcft of water to Budameru in Vijayawada, which opens into Krishna river upstream of Prakasam barrage.[i] In this way the canal will connect the Godavari and Krishna rivers. The 174 km long canal will draw 80 tmcft (226 million m3) of water from the dam site and drop it in to the Krishna. Since the canal is a major one there has also been a proposal to make it navigable for freight boats.

The Left Main Canal is designed to provide water to 12 lakh acres in north coastal districts besides meeting the drinking water needs of urban and rural areas. It will connect with Yeleru Left Main canal to bring water for industrial (Vizag steel plant) and drinking water purposes. It will also supply north coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam with irrigation water