AP Govt Allocates Rs.18,224 Cr for Irrigation Sector in Budget

These allocations were proposed in the budget presented by the Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav in Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Saturday. According to the Minister, the budget places irrigation at the centre of growth strategy, recognizing that every drop stored, every canal restored, and every acre brought under assured irrigation transform lives.

Climate variability and changing rainfall patterns demand that the State move from dependence on monsoons to resilience through storage and efficient distribution. The government’s irrigation policy is therefore not only about constructing projects - it is about creating long-term water security for generations to come.

The previous regime did not understand the genuine needs of farmers. Irrigation projects were stalled due to unpaid bills and neglect of maintenance, leaving Rayalaseema and North Coastal districts waiting endlessly for assured water.

Even routine upkeep and dam safety were pushed to the margins. “How can we forget the mayhem caused by the breach of Annamayya dam and damage to the diaphragm wall of Polavaram project? Such was the apathy of the previous regime,” he said.

“Where there is a will, there is a way. We are blessed to have a Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has comprehensive knowledge of the irrigation systems of both Telugu States,” he said.

The Chief Minister has planned and executed several projects like the Pattiseema, etc. which brought water security to different regions of the State. It was his will again which was instrumental in commissioning, commencement and completion of the HNSS project in 100 days, resulting in delivering water to farmers.

For the first time, nearly 45 TMC of Krishna water was already successfully lifted through AVR Handri-Neeva, improving water access in Rayalaseema. For Polavaram, Rs. 5,000 crore of pending bills have been cleared and the diaphragm wall has reached 91 per cent completion. Overall progress has crossed 60 per cent.

Parallel progress has been achieved in the Veligonda Project, B.R.R. Vamsadhara Phase-II, and river interlinking works of Vamsadhara–Nagaali and Nagavali–Champavathi, while large-scale O and M, SDMF and FDR works are stabilising irrigation systems statewide.

After a gap of five years, 6,047 Water User Associations have been democratically revived. Going forward, we are committed to completing B.R.R. Vamsadhara PhaseII, AVR Handri-Neeva, Poola Subbaiah Veligonda, and Polavaram.

“We are actively pursuing the Polavaram–Nallamala Sagar link to drought-proof Rayalaseema. The plan for Rayalaseema global horticulture hub also has a significant component of irrigation. We propose to allocate Rs. 18,224 crore for the Water Resources Department for 2026-27,” he added.