The Polavaram Irrigation Project is on the river Godavari near Ramayyapeta village of Polavaram Mandal, about 34 km upstream of Kovvur-Rajahmundry road-cum-rail bridge and 42 km upstream of Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, where river emerges out of the last range of the Eastern Ghats and enters the plains in West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. This multi-purpose major irrigation project is intended for development of a gross irrigation potential of 4,36,825 ha. The project also envisages generation of 960MW of hydro power, drinking water supply to a population of 28.50 lakh in 611 villages and diversion of 80 TMC of water to Krishna river basin.

Salient Features

• 2454 m of Earth cum Rock fill dam/concrete dam in three gaps.
• 1,118.40 m long spillway for discharging probable maximum flood of 1,41,435 cumec (about 50 lakh cusec).
• 181.999 km long Left Main Canal to irrigate Culturable Command Area (CCA) of 4 lakh acres (1,61,855 ha).
• 178.81 km long Right Main Canal to irrigate a CCA 3.2 lakh acres (1,29,500 ha).
• The intensity of irrigation is increased as 150%. Thus annual irrigation potential is 10.80 lakh acres (4,36,716 ha).
• Live capacity of the reservoir with FRL of +45.72 m (+150 ft) is 2.130 TMCum(75.20 TMCft).
• Stabilization of 10.13 lakh acres of Godavari delta and 13 lakh acres of Krishna delta.
• Interlinking of Godavari and Krishna rivers proposing to divert 80 TMC to Krishna basin.
• 23.44 TMC of water supply to industries and drinking water to Visakhapatnam.
• Domestic water supply to 28.5 lakh population in 611 villages.
• Generation of 960 MW power (12 x 80 MW).
• Sharing of 5 TMC and 1.5 TMC of water from reservoir rim with Odisha and Chhattisgarh, respectively.