Polavaram Project Phase-1 To Be Operational by March, 2027: Naidu

Polavaram: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has sounded confident of commissioning the Polavaram irrigation project’s phase-1 by March 2027.

Naidu on Wednesday inspected the progress of works and held a review meeting with the senior officials from the water resources department and contractors at the project site in Polavaram district.

Later, he told the media that the fixing of the project’s Earth-Cum-Rock Fill (ECRF) dam height for phase-1 at 41.15 metres would help impound 119 tmc-ft of water that could be sent through gravitational pull to the targeted regions.

The CM also wanted all works related to the resettlement and rehabilitation of the project-affected families and land acquisition and providing land and construction of houses, either by the self or by the government, to be completed by January 2027.

He directed the senior officials to complete the works expeditiously.

Explaining in detail the progress of execution of various components of the project, Naidu noted that the diaphragm wall constructed at a cost of Rs 440 crore had suffered damage. He accused the previous YSRC government of being slack.

“We are constructing a new diaphragm wall costing nearly Rs 1,000 crore based on the advice from a team of international experts, as carrying out repairs to the damaged D-wall was risky and unsafe,” he said.

Naidu said, “Damage caused to the D-wall due to negligence of the previous government caused a delay in completion of the project by six to seven years, and this also caused a cost escalation.”

He said that new D-wall works were completed to the extent of 81 per cent and sounded confident of its completion by February 15, 2026.

Naidu said that after completion of phase 1 of the Polavaram project, “we would start phase 2 at 45.72 metres height of the ECRF dam,” as this had been scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2027.

Naidu explained that the works on connectivity with the right main canal were almost complete, while the Left Main Canal (LMC) works were going on. The twin tunnels’ works towards right connectivity would be completed by June 30, 2026, he said.

On LMC, Naidu said that they would take water up to Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam by gravity and would ensure supply of water to the minor and medium irrigation projects and check dams, enroute, for the benefit of the people. He sounded confident of its completion by March 31, 2026.

With regard to land acquisition and resettlement and rehabilitation, the number of Project Displaced Families (PDFs) under phase-1 is identified to be 38,060. Out of a total number of 75 R and R colonies planned, 26 were complete while the works for the 49 were under progress, Nadu said.

He said nearly 16,291 PDFs were shifted while 21,769 PDFs were yet to be shifted.

The chief minister asserted, “Polavaram project is close to my heart. I had spent sleepless nights when it was not being executed properly by the previous government. I have my lifetime’s ambition of completing the project, taking up interlinking of rivers and tackling drought, besides keeping AP in auto-pilot mode for development.”

Naidu noted that he had taken up the Pattiseema project at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore. It helped provide water to the Krishnan delta region and send water to the Rayalaseema region, which would “become a global hub for horticulture crops.”

He said though he was mocked at for taking up soak pits, percolation tanks and trenches to fill up the rainwater and facilitate recharge of groundwater tables, it was yielding results, with water level going up by six metres in Rayalaseema, 16.59 metres in Eluru and 24 metres in Rajahmahendravaram of East Godavari district.

The CM wanted the groundwater tables to be at plus-3 metres during post-monsoon and minus-8 meters during pre-monsoon season so that five metres of ground water would be available for use.