The Proposal: This is the third link proposed to transfer water from Godavari to Krishna.  This link canal takes off from the Right Bank of Godavari at the proposed Polavaram reservoir and shall divert 5,325 Mcum of water over a length of 174 km.  This link will provide total irrigation benefits of about 5.82 lakh hectares in Andhra Pradesh.  This link will also cater to transfer of 2,265 Mcum of water to the Krishna Delta, enroute domestic and industrial requirement of 162 Mcum and 1,236 Mcum of additional water for stabilization of the existing command under Krishna Delta, besides transmission losses of 260 Mcum of water. NWDA has completed the feasibility study of the link. 

Engineering Aspect: The Polavaram project proposed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh will be used for diverting the Godavari water through this link canal which will be received at the existing Prakasam Barrage on Krishna river at Vijayawada.  The FRL/MWL of Polavaram reservoir is 45.72 m and its gross and live storage capacities are 5511 Mcum and 2130 Mcum respectively. The total length of link canal from Polavaram dam site to its outfall into Prakasam Barrage is about 174 km.  The link canal takes off from Polavaram reservoir with a FSL of 40.232 m and outfall into Prakasam Barrage at a FSL of 27.965 m.  The link canal is proposed to be operated through out the year.  The design discharge of the canal at the takeoff point works out to be 405.12 cumecs.  The diversion is entirely by gravity.

Environmental Issue: The Polavaram reservoir submerges an area of 63,691 ha comprising of 60,063 ha in Andhra Pradesh, 2,398 ha in Chattisgarh and 1,230 ha in Orissa.  Out of the total submergence area, the area under cultivation is about 30,650 ha and the forest area 3,705 ha. The reservoir submergence will affect 250 villages and a total population of about 1.45 lakhs in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Orissa.

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