Andhra Pradesh: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said here on Wednesday that the government will ensure all Polavaram Project works are completed by March 2027 and bring it into use by December next year.
Addressing a press conference at the project site, the chief minister promised to finish construction of the diaphragm wall by February 15.
“We will take steps to complete all Polavaram Project works by next March (2027). By December 2027, our goal is to bring the project to use,” said Naidu, following an aerial survey and inspection of the project.
Had the diaphragm wall been constructed before, it could have been completed at a cost of just Rs 440 crore and the project itself could have been completed earlier, he said.
However, he alleged that the government change in 2019 ended up as a major loss to the project and accused the previous YSRCP government of neglecting the project that resulted in a delay of six years.
Observing that the alleged delays inflated the cost, Naidu said that an additional amount of Rs 1,000 crore was required for the diaphragm wall.
The Andhra CM alleged that only 2 per cent of works were progressed between 2019 and 2024, after 72 per cent of works were completed between 2014-19.
Likewise, he noted that the works related to the main canal were almost complete and efforts are on to finish embankment works by June.
Further, the CM directed officials to complete Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) works in the next 12 months and to hasten the acquisition of land required for resettlement.
Highlighting that the ‘largest’ inland waterways will be established, Naidu said tunnel connectivity will be increased in the Polavaram left and right canals.
Assuring channel water to Visakhapatnam from the Polavaram Project, the CM noted that Vizag and Anakapalli districts will be made fertile.
Likewise, he noted that all the minor irrigation projects and checkdams running along Polavaram Project canals will be filled with Godavari River water.
Telangana govt to seek interim stay on Pollavaram project
The project expansion is staunchly opposed by the Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government in the Supreme Court, saying that it can be executed in accordance with the original plan and that any additional works are illegal.
On January 6, a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked both Telugu-speaking states to consider mediation on the issue and advised Telangana to bring its objections to the notice of the statutory committee formed by the Centre.
Telangana will seek an interim stay at the Supreme Court, contending that the dispute was not limited to issues of water sharing and did not fall within the jurisdiction of any tribunal constituted under the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956.
The matter has been posted for hearing on January 12.
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