Polavaram spillway to be ready by June 20: P Anil Kumar Yadav

Vijayawada: Irrigation minister P Anil Kumar Yadav said the Polavaram spillway works would be completed by June 2020 and efforts were on to shift 18,000 affected families to the newly-built rehabilitation colonies next year.

Anil Kumar visited the Polavaram project site on Tuesday and inspected the ongoing works. He spoke to the officials of the irrigation, revenue and other departments and enquired about the progress of works.

Later, speaking to media, the minister said the state government resumed Polavaram works on November 1 as promised and 2.17 lakh cubic metre works would be completed by June next year.

Stating that 3,000 tmc ft water was let off into the sea due to lack of storage facility, he said that the YSRCP government would complete the works at any cost.

"Rockfill dam works will be completed by 2021 and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) package will be implemented to 1.05 lakh affected families," the minister said. He claimed that the government was saving public money with reverse tendering process.

Anil Kumar alleged that Devipatnam and three other villages were submerged in floods due to construction of rockfill dam by the previous TDP government without proper planning. Alleging that the previous TDP government could not complete even 50 per cent works in five years, he said TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu lied to the people on the project.