₹3,050-Crore Godavari Water Grid Project Underway For Drinking Water Supply
The ₹3,050-crore Godavari Water Grid Project will supply filtered river water to over 58 lakh people across four districts by 2027.
Works are underway on the Godavari Water Grid Project at a cost of ₹3,050 crore to supply filtered Godavari water for drinking purposes to a population of more than 58 lakh across Kakinada, Konaseema, East Godavari, and West Godavari districts till 2057.
The project will involve an expenditure of ₹1,650 crore in Kakinada and Konaseema districts and ₹1,400 crore in West Godavari and Eluru districts. The project titled “Amarajeevi Jaladhara” is scheduled for completion by the end of March 2027 before the 2027 Godavari Pushkaralu.
Project works include laying over 500 kilometres of pipelines with the aim of supplying filtered water to the residents of erstwhile Godavari districts prior to the Godavari Pushkaralu. Overhead tanks and water treatment plants (WTPs) are being constructed wherever necessary for the purpose.
However, certain tasks, such as addressing road congestion and completing land acquisition, still remain to be sorted out.
An overhead tank will be constructed at Vasanthavada. Godavari water will be pumped to the tank from Bobbarlanka. Water will be filtered and supplied to people of 458 villages in Konaseema area. Another tank will be constructed at Dowleswaram. Filtered water will be supplied from it to 234 villages in Kakinada district through Anaparthi and Bikkavolu.
Rural Water Supply (RWS) department has already acquired 10 acres of land at Vasanthavada and 15.50 acres of land at Madduru to construct WTPs and overhead tanks.
In West Godavari district, 1.86 TMC of purified water will be supplied to 24.15 lakh people in 931 villages by 2057, covering, Achanta, Penugonda, Penumantra, Narsapuram, Mogaltur, Nidadavole, Peravali, Undrajavaram, Palakollu, Elamanchili, Poduru, Tanuku, Iragavaram, Attili, Bhimavaram, Veeravasaram, Undi, Kalla, and Palakoderu mandals through the Vijjeswaram Reservoir. A WTP will be constructed at Kovvuru.
RWS superintendent engineer B.V. Giri said works are being closely monitored without compromising on quality. Once the project is completed, majority of drinking water problems of people in rural areas will be solved.
The project is being undertaken under the Jal Jeevan Mission, with both the central and state governments contributing 50 per cent each of funds.
In the interim, MLAs of the region have suggested that the state government instruct industries in the area not to release their effluents into the Godavari River. This would ensure that purer water is made available under the “Amarajeevi Jaladhara” scheme. It is said for industries to build infrastructure to stop effluents from flowing into the river will take at least one year. Till then, people will be supplied only filtered Godavari water.
