AP Allocates ₹150 Crore To Replace Gates Of Historic Dowleswaram Barrage
“Dowleswaram Barrage is the lifeline and heart of the Godavari delta system”: Dr. Nimmala Ramanaidu
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh government has allocated ₹150.09 crore for replacement of the gates at the historic Dowleswaram Barrage, AP Water Resources minister Dr. Nimmala Ramanaidu informed the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to questions during Question Hour, the minister said the barrage, which irrigates 10.13 lakh acres across the erstwhile East and West Godavari districts and supplies drinking and industrial water to lakhs of people, remains a top priority for the state government. “Dowleswaram Barrage is the lifeline and heart of the Godavari delta system,” he asserted.
Ramanaidu recalled that in 2014, the then Telugu Desam government had undertaken modernisation of the Godavari delta and replaced 58 of the 175 gates at a cost of ₹31.77 crore. Subsequently, despite warnings from the Central Water Commission during 2019–24 about the barrage’s vulnerability, the previous YSR Congress government had failed to act on replacement of the remaining gates.
The minister underlined that with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu resuming office in 2024, administrative sanction has been accorded to replace the remaining 117 gates with an outlay of ₹150.09 crore. He pointed out that tenders for gate replacement had been invited in January this year.
Ramanaidu disclosed that works will be executed in phases using stop-log gates to avoid disruption to irrigation supplies. Further, ₹13.4 crore have been earmarked for preparing a comprehensive DPR, including an aerial LiDAR survey, to address flooding, lock systems and gate repairs in the delta areas.
The minister said to prevent shortages, 2,200 cusecs of water is being released to the Eastern delta, 1,500 cusecs to central delta and 4,100 cusecs to the western delta.
