International experts complete four-day review of Polavaram project

The international team reviewing the Polavaram project completed its four-day assessment after inspecting construction activities and quality-control procedures at the Earth-Cum-Rock Fill (ECRF) dam.

The experts visited the project site from October 14 to 17, according to an official release issued on Saturday (October 17, 2026).

40 hours of inspections and technical discussions

The review included 40 hours of field visits and meetings.

Of this, 13 hours were spent inspecting construction works and testing facilities, while 27 hours were devoted to technical discussions.

The team examined construction progress at ECRF dam Gaps 1 and 2.

It also visited the project’s quality-control laboratories and assessed the procedures followed for testing.

The experts expressed satisfaction with the construction and quality-control arrangements at the project.

Their assessment also covered the use of technology in the ECRF dam and other structures, where they said they were satisfied with the arrangements.

The team comprised Richard Donnelly, Gianfranco De Cicco, Sean Hinchberger and David Paul.

Advice on maintaining construction quality

At a meeting on Saturday, the experts briefed officials of the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA), representatives of the State Water Resources Department (WRD) and representatives of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited about their observations.

They advised the project authorities to maintain construction quality as work progressed.

The experts also asked the authorities to continue with the established testing procedures and document every test result.

The advice places continued emphasis on construction monitoring, testing and documentation as activities at the ECRF dam and other structures move forward.

PPA Chief Executive Officer Sanjeev Vohra chaired the review meetings.

Central and State WRD officials, including Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) K. Narasimha Murthy, took part in the discussions and field inspections.

Scientists from the Central Soil and Materials Research Station and representatives of WAPCOS and MEIL also participated.

The report was published on October 18, 2026 at 02:05 pm IST.

Source: The Hindu