Vijayawada: AP Irrigation officials initiated the diversion of water to Godavari delta region via the river sluices of Polavaram Irrigation Project on Friday. It is a milestone in the Polavaram dam’s history by enabling the flow via approach channel, spill channel and pilot channel for the first time.

According to Irrigation official sources the water is expected to reach Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram in three days. It will be made available to the delta from June 15 as promised earlier. The process began with the removal of the temporary bund at the approach channel to divert water from the river.

With the closure of gaps in the upstream cofferdam, which is being raised to the desired height to enable the construction of the earth-cum-rock fill dam, the flow of the flood is obstructed and the water level rises naturally. Thereon, it is diverted into the pilot channel via approach channel and spill channel before it reunites with the river’s natural course.

This entire diversion is about 6.6 km — 2.4 km long approach channel, 3.1 km spill channel and 1.1 km pilot channel, which is a rare engineering feat, the officials said.

As we are diverting a perennial river with an average flood of 26 to 36 lakh cusecs. On Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s direction, we have started diversion of water via the approach channel-spill channel-pilot channel route. There are 10 river sluices and we can divert 1,000 cusecs from each of them.