MEIL begins polavaram tunnel excavation work

Hyderabad: Infrastructure company, Megha Engineering Company Limited (MEIL) has started polavaram hydroelectric power station pressure tunnels excavation work, the company said on Friday.

The Andhra government has expedited work on the crucial 960 MW hydropower plant in the polavaram multipurpose project. The government is determined to deliver the fruits of the project to the people of the State with a definite plan to complete the project on time, MEIL said.

Every year, 3,000 TMC of water from the Godavari River goes waste into the sea. This is much higher than the water consumed in the joint state of Andhra Pradesh. If this water is utilized, the State has the potential to develop and move forward in all sectors.

The project will store 194 TMC of water, once construction is completed. Out of this, 120 TMC of water is used for hydropower generation and irrigation purposes. The remaining 70 TMCs are stored. The water of these 120 TMCs can be used for cultivation and drinking water needs of the people in the Godavari river basin, especially in the East and West Godavari and Krishna districts, the company said.

MEIL has expedited the construction of the hydropower plant with the help of the government to complete the construction work on time and deliver the project results to the people of the state, the company added.

The Polavaram Hydroelectric Power Station is being built with a capacity of 960 MW of hydroelectric capacity. It will have 12 vertical Keplan turbines with a capacity of 80 MW each. For these, 12 pressure tunnels have to be dug. Each tunnel is 145 meters long and 9 meters deep. These will have 12 generator transformers, each with a capacity of 100 MW. For the power project, a 206 m long approach channel, 294 m wide, will have to be dug.