Polavaram Project, Location, River, Objective, Latest News

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Polavaram Project Latest News

The Prime Minister will chair a meeting with chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh to discuss the Polavaram project.

It is a multi-purpose irrigation project built on the Godavari River where the river emerges out of the last range of the Eastern Ghats and enters the plains.
The dam will be located near Polavaram village in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, an area bordering Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
It was conceived in 1980 as a part of the recommendations of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT).
It has been accorded national project status by the central government.
It involves the construction of a dam to address water scarcity, boost agricultural productivity, and generate power.
- The span of the dam is about 1.2 km, having a pier height of 54 m and a total of 48 radial gates (16mx20m).
- Designed to withstand massive floods that could occur once in 1000 years, the Polavaram Spillway is set to have the highest discharge capacity in the world.
- At 50 lakh cusecs, it is set to surpass even the 3 Gorges Dam of China, one of the largest dams in the world.
- The project has set a world record by pouring 32,315.5 cubic metres of concrete into the spillway channel of the project.

It is intended for the development of a gross irrigation potential of 4,36,825 ha.
The project also envisages the generation of 960 MW of hydropower and drinking water supply to a population of 28.50 lakh in 611 villages.
The project also aims to transfer 80 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water from the Godavari to the Krishna river basin.
The dam will help manage floodwaters from the Godavari River, reducing risks to nearby communities.