Prime Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has stressed the need to close the gaps in the Polavaram cofferdam and to complete the approach channel at the earliest.
At a briefing meeting on irrigation projects on Wednesday, Jagan Mohan Reddy said the work should be completed before the rainy season and that the next 45 days would be crucial for excavating the soil and completing the overflow canal works.
The officials informed the Prime Minister that the gaps in the cofferdam will be filled by May. Work on the approach canal was proceeding briskly and would be completed by May, they said.
The Chief Minister also took stock of the other priority projects such as Nellore and Sangam Dam, Owk Tunnel-2, Veligonda Head Regulators, Vamsadhara-Nagavali Link and Vamsadhara Phase-2.
Officials told the prime minister that the Nellore and Sangam closures would be completed by May and that work on Owk Tunnel-2 would proceed rapidly. Both tunnels would be ready by August for a total of 20,000 cusecs, they added. Work on the Veligonda Tunnel-2 should be completed by December.
The Vamsadhara-Nagavali Link and Vamsadhara Phase-2 work should be completed by July, they added.
The Chief Minister directed officials to focus on building the Neradi Dam and taking steps to resolve problems with Odisha.
Priority should be given to Mahendratanaya, Madduvalasa Phase 2 and Tarakarama Sagar projects, he said.
Also present were General Secretary Aditya Nath Das, Irrigation Secretary J. Syamala Rao, Chief Secretary (Finance) SS Rawat, and Chief Engineer C. Narayana Reddy.