Minor slide reported at Polavaram upper cofferdam, repairs completed 

A minor slide was reported at the left side of the upper cofferdam of the Polavaram project on Friday morning. The affected portion measured about 10 feet in width and 7–8 feet in depth. Officials, who noticed the slide, immediately took up emergency works and reinforced the area on a war footing.

Currently, the Godavari water level at Polavaram stands at +28 metres. Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resources Department officials say that the slide occurred only on the upper side and that there are no issues on the downstream side since the buttress dam has already been completed. They inspected the site and supervised the strengthening works.

The cofferdam is a temporary structure built to divert water until the main reservoir is constructed. To avoid any risks, a buttress dam was constructed earlier based on the recommendations of an international expert team. The upper cofferdam also serves as a passage for vehicles traveling towards Poshamma Gandi in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.

Officials recalled that during the heavy floods in the Godavari in August 2022, the height of the cofferdam was further raised by two metres and widened to nine metres to ensure safety. The present slide occurred only in the area where the height was increased. Authorities say that vehicle movement has already resumed, constant monitoring is in place, and there is no cause for concern.