Experts from US, Canada visit Andhra Pradesh to inspect Polavaram project

The four experts, two each from the US and Canada, who had a meeting with officials of the Central Water Resources Department in New Delhi on Saturday, reached Rajahmundry city on Saturday night, said Telugu Desam Party (TDP) sources.

The experts include David P Paul and Gain Franco de Sikko from the US while Richerd Dannelli and Sean Hinch Berger from Canada.

The experts reached Polavaram on Sunday and after having a meeting with the officials they inspected the project site, including the diaphragm wall, the two cofferdams and the guide bund.

These experts in the water resources are expected to stay at the project site till July 3 to have a detailed study of the project design to the current situation and the ongoing works of Polavaram.

After completing their visit to Polavaram, these experts will again be holding review meetings with the officials of the Central Water Resources Department and the representatives of the construction organisations.

The State Government has taken the assistance of these foreign experts in water resources as the prevailing situation is such that the actual loss to the project caused in the past five years due to the faulty decisions of the previous government could not be assessed.

Earlier on Friday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu released a white paper on the Polavaram project in the assembly.

He further said that Polavaram is a central government project.

He further said that 72 per cent of the Polavaram project was completed during the TDP regime, with all pending work finished.

The Polavaram Project is an under-construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in the Eluru District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh. The project has been accorded National project status by the Central Government of India.

The sixteenth Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly began on June 21, and Naidu, along with Nara Lokesh and Nandamuri Balakrishna took oaths as members.

Naidu had vowed in November 2021 that he would return to the Assembly only after becoming Chief Minister.

The TDP supremo had taken oath as Andhra Chief Minister on June 12 along with his council of ministers.

His party had fought the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections as well as the Lok Sabha polls in partnership with the BJP and the Janasena Party.

The TDP-BJP-Janasena Party alliance registered a landslide victory in the assembly as well as the parliamentary elections.

The TDP has 135 MLAs in the Andhra Pradesh assembly, while the Janasena Party has 21 and the BJP eight. The opposition YSR Congress Party has 11 MLAs. (ANI)