From Our Correspondent
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday reaffirmed that the Polavaram Irrigation Project will be completed and dedicated to the nation by March 2027, describing it as the “lifeline of Andhra Pradesh” and the cornerstone of the state’s long-term water security and economic development.
Addressing the media after reviewing the project’s progress at the Polavaram site, the Chief Minister said the government has placed the project on a fast track after several years of delays. He announced that Godavari water will be released to Visakhapatnam through the Left Main Canal on August 14, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the state’s irrigation network.
Project 89% Complete
Naidu said 89% of the overall project works have now been completed, compared with 72% completion by 2019. He alleged that the project was neglected during the previous YSRCP government and claimed that only about 2% of works were executed between 2019 and 2024, whereas the present government has completed another 15% in the past two years after releasing around ₹7,100 crore for the project.
He said major components, including the spillway radial gates, cofferdams and several civil works, have either been completed or are nearing completion. The damaged diaphragm wall has also been reconstructed at an estimated cost of nearly ₹990 crore, allowing construction of the Earth-cum-Rock-Fill (ECRF) dam to proceed.
According to the Chief Minister, the Right Main Canal earthworks have been completed fully, while the Left Main Canal is 99% complete. Irrigation tunnels have also been completed.
“Lifeline of Andhra Pradesh”
Calling Polavaram a transformational project, Naidu said it would fundamentally change Andhra Pradesh’s irrigation and water management.
Once completed, the project will:
- Store 194 TMC of water while enabling utilisation of another 200 TMC of floodwaters.
- Create irrigation for 7.2 lakh acres of new ayacut.
- Stabilise irrigation for 23.5 lakh acres of existing ayacut.
- Supply drinking water to 28.5 lakh people.
- Provide 23.44 TMC of water for industrial use.
- Generate 960 MW of hydroelectric power, with the government also examining a hybrid pumped-storage model for round-the-clock power generation.
Naidu said the project would primarily benefit the Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Krishna and Guntur regions while strengthening Andhra Pradesh’s long-term water and energy security.
Focus on Rehabilitation
The Chief Minister said rehabilitation of displaced families remains a priority and termed it the government’s “moral responsibility.”
He said:
- 94,152 acres of land have been acquired so far.
- Land acquisition is targeted for completion by October 2026.
- Around 17,500 displaced families have already been shifted.
- Rehabilitation colonies and resettlement works are expected to be completed by March 2027.
- Financial assistance for house sites has been enhanced to ₹2 lakh, along with additional support for beneficiaries constructing their own houses.
Wider Irrigation Roadmap
Naidu also outlined an ambitious irrigation agenda beyond Polavaram.
He announced that the Veligonda Project will be inaugurated on September 1, once Srisailam waters become available, adding that the previous government had dedicated the project before its completion.
The government is also pursuing the Uttara Andhra Sujala Sravanthi project to supply Godavari water to Visakhapatnam and eventually connect it with the Vamsadhara basin. In addition, it plans to complete 36 irrigation projects across Andhra Pradesh within the next three years under a time-bound programme, alongside implementing the statewide Jaladhara initiative aimed at interlinking water bodies and improving groundwater levels.
Naidu said restoring the damaged diaphragm wall had caused him “many sleepless nights,” but expressed confidence that, with support from the Union Government and international technical experts, the Polavaram project is now firmly back on schedule.