The Polavaram project is a multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River that was granted national project status. It involves building a dam 39.28 meters high to impound the river and create a reservoir with 194 TMC capacity. The key goals are to transfer water from Godavari to the Krishna basin and divert excess flood waters. However, the project will displace over 44,000 families across three districts and submerge farmland and archaeological sites, causing significant controversy. Once completed, it will be one of the largest dams in India and provide major benefits to the water-deficit Rayalaseema region.

1. A CASE STUDY ON
POLAVARAM PROJECT
BY
MATHI SRIRADH
B.TECH CSE-2ND SEM
- Life line of the Andhra Pradesh residents

2. INTRODUCTION:
 The multi purpose irrigation project, the Polavaram
project is a accorded national project status by the union
government.
 The dam is across the river Godavari and is located at
West-Godavari and East-Godavari districts.
 The reservoir spread is across parts of Telangana,
Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

3. HISTORY:
 In 1980, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh T.
Anjaiah laid the foundation stone for the project.
 However the project stayed idle until 2004 when the Y.
S. Rajasekhara Reddy-led government came to power.
 In 2004, the Government of Andhra Pradesh sanctioned
1,320 crore (US$230 million) for the project.

4. Representative view
of the project location

5. WHY POLAVARAM????.....
 The central idea behind the project was to transfer water
from Godavari to the water deficit Krishna basin.
 Whenever the river Godavari gets flooded, there is a
need to divert the water in excess, which might
submerge the neighboring villages around Godavari, so
that water can be diverted into Krishna river.
 70% of Godavari water that is 3000TMC is
unnecessarily flowed into Bay of Bengal.

6. KEY ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT:
 DAMS AND SPILLWAYS:
Type of Dam Concrete spill way (754 m), Non over
flow masonry dam (560 m) & Earth
dam (1600 m)
Impounds Godavari River
Height 39.28 m (129 ft.) up to top of earth dam
above the lowest river bed.
Length 2,914 m (9,560 ft.)
Spillway type Ogee section
Spillway capacity 5,000,000 cumecs at 140 ft msl

7. ABOUT THE RESERVOIR:
Total capacity 194 TMC ft. at FRL 150 ft. MSL
Active capacity 175 TMC ft. (at 25.4 m MSL crest level of
spillway)
Inactive capacity 19 TMC ft. (below 25.4 m MSL)
Catchment area 307,800 km2(118,800 Sq. mi)
Surface area 600 km2 (230 Sq. mi)
Maximum water depth 32.08 m at FRL 150 ft. MSL

8. POWER STATION:
 The power station is operated by APGENCO.
 The turbines used are 12 × 80 MW Francis-
type (left bank side).
 The installed capacity is 960 MW (under
construction).

9. BENEFITS:
 Polavaram will be the biggest dam dedicated to nation after
Sardar Sarovar dam on Narmada river in Gujarat. It’s a big boon
to the Rayalaseema region.
1
Polavaram
reservoir
½ of Nagarjuna
Sagar.
¾ of Bhakra Dam.
1.5 times of Tehri
Dam.

10. CONTROVERSIES:
 The proposed project would displace 276 villages and
44,574 families spread across three districts of Andhra
Pradesh.
 The project not only will displace several thousands of
families, it will also submerge several archeological
sites, coal deposits, a wildlife sanctuary and several
hectares of farm land.
 A lot of political leaders were involved in the corruption
of the sanctioned budget of the project.

11. MISCELLANEOUS FACTS:
 Revised estimated budget: 50,000 Crores, out of which 32,000
will be spent for land acquisition, relief and rehabilitation.
 A sum of 7,000 Crores has been spent so far for the project.
 A huge mountain had to be cleared off as a part of spillway
channel works.
 About 2.7 lakh cubic meters of concrete work has been completed
so far and it is estimated that about 32 lakh Cu.m of concrete is
required for the whole project.