Expert panel finds Polavaram dam works satisfactory, reports no major deficiencies

The international Panel of Experts (PoE) assisting the Andhra Pradesh government and central agencies in the construction of the Polavaram Irrigation Project has reported satisfactory progress and quality in key elements of the dam, in its seventh site visit report.

The Polavaram project, on the Godavari river in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh, is a national project intended to provide irrigation to a large command area, drinking water, and hydroelectric power. It was declared a national project in 2014 under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, with the central government funding a large share of its cost. Construction has continued over several years and has seen repeated revisions of design and cost estimates.

According to the report, the Diaphragm Wall (D-Wall) — a barrier built into the riverbed to control seepage beneath the dam — was completed on April 2, 2026. The panel recorded that a comprehensive quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) programme had been implemented for the project.

The experts noted that earlier problems relating to 'bleeding' and 'bedrock embedment' had been addressed. The QA/QC results presented to them indicated that the specified material performance requirements were generally achieved.

The report states that the quality control and assurance manual contained the information necessary for dam construction, that the specified types and frequency of testing were being followed, and that materials not meeting the specified requirements were removed and corrective works undertaken.

On design, the panel said the updated plan for the second gap in the Earth-cum-Rock Fill (ECRF) dam was based on comprehensive geological, geotechnical and engineering investigations, including permeability testing and laboratory consolidation analysis. It described the current design methodology as a substantial advancement over earlier design stages.

The exposed portion of the completed D-Wall appeared to be of good quality, with no visible defects, the report noted.

The panel said construction quality had improved in the areas of clay-core compaction and zone definition, and concluded that no major deficiencies were observed that would affect the ongoing advancement of the second gap in the ECRF dam.

In Gap-I of the ECRF dam, the PoE recorded satisfactory progress and improved placement and compaction methods. Grouting results presented to it indicated good outcomes, and the panel recommended continuing documentation and monitoring as part of the project's quality and safety management.

The experts described the planned instrumentation for the dams as 'very comprehensive' and said the recommendations made during the previous site visit had been addressed satisfactorily. Instrumentation refers to the sensors and monitoring systems installed to track a dam's behaviour — including seepage, pressure and movement — over its service life.

The PoE is a panel of international experts whose observations are placed before project authorities and reviewed by central and state agencies. Its findings are technical in nature and address the execution of works at the locations examined during the site visit, rather than questions of policy, cost or scheduling.

Quality and safety management, including continued documentation and monitoring, remains part of the project's ongoing process, the panel indicated.