A team of international water resources experts has commenced a four-day visit to Polavaram in Eluru district. The team includes engineers David B. Paul and Diane France d’Sicco from the USA, along with Richard Donnelly and Sean Hitchberger from Canada, each bringing over three decades of expertise in dam maintenance, safety, civil engineering, hydraulic structures, and construction.
Their visit focuses on assessing critical aspects of the Polavaram project, including the challenging construction of the ECRF Dam’s diaphragm wall, seepage issues at the upper and lower coffer dams, and other impediments encountered during the project’s execution. They are scheduled to meet with project officials to gather detailed project information, review documents such as dam plans, geological surveys, and other pertinent records to evaluate the project’s progress and implementation.
Over the course of their stay, the expert team will dedicate their efforts to inspecting the main dam construction sites, examining the diaphragm wall integrity, geological conditions, and any efforts aimed at altering geological settings. Discussions are also planned with Polavaram project authority officials, as well as with representatives from the Central Water Resources Commission and the Central Soil and Materials Research Station. Additionally, they will engage with officials from the project’s contracting agency to comprehensively assess ongoing challenges and potential solutions.