Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu insists on completion of Polavaram project by December 2027

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu chairing a review meeting on Irrigation Department at the Secretariate on Thursday.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has stressed the need for completion of the Polavaram irrigation project by December 2027.

“Delay in completion of the projects that have approvals and funding will not be tolerated. By the time the Polavaram project begins to show results, the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanti project should become operational,” Mr. Naidu said at a review meeting on the Water Resources Department on Thursday.

Mr. Naidu said the previous YSRCP government had neglected the irrigation sector and the NDA government was trying to take corrective measures.

“The objective is to provide water to the people. Irrigation works must proceed with set goals in mind. Especially for projects such as Polavaram, daily, monthly, and overall targets must be met. If the targets are not met, both officials and contractors will be held accountable,” he said.

Informing Mr. Naidu about the progress of the Polavaram project works, the officials said that 51 metres of the 1,379-metre diaphragm had been completed so far. Mr. Naidu directed them to expedite the work.

The headworks of the Polavaram project must be completed by December 2027, and the Polavaram left canal should be built to its original design capacity of 17,500 cusecs, he said. Mr. Naidu also emphasised that the left canal be completed by June 2025.

“By the time water from the Polavaram left canal reaches Visakhapatnam, the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanti project should become operational so that Godavari water can be diverted to the North Andhra projects,” he said. He also directed that legal issues surrounding the Chintalapudi lift project be resolved.

The Chief Minister expressed disappointment over delay in the Veligonda project. Mr. Naidu recalled that he had laid the foundation for the project in the unified State and that significant progress had been made between 2014 and 2019.

However, the previous government had neglected the project, he said, adding it was unfortunate that a project conceived 30 years ago was incomplete. He asked the officials to inform people about the deceptions of the previous government.

Referring to the Polavaram-Banakacharla link project, Mr. Naidu instructed the officials to take steps to start the project to make the State drought-free and set up a corporation to manage it.

Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu was present.