VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday announced that Godavari waters will reach Anakapalli via the Polavaram Left Canal by August 14, 2026.
The water release will be marked by a grand ‘Akhanda Harathi’ celebration in Anakapalli district, serving as the first phase of a broader timeline to supply gravity-driven water to Visakhapatnam by next year.
Speaking to the media at the Polavaram dam site after an aerial survey and a progress review with top irrigation officials, the Chief Minister fixed March 2027 as the final deadline for the completion of the long-delayed Polavaram Project.
This visit marks Naidu’s 37th direct field inspection and his 136th comprehensive review of the project since 2014, highlighting its status as the state’s lifeline. Once operational, the project will transform the agricultural and industrial landscape across the undivided Godavari districts, Visakhapatnam, Krishna, and Guntur.
Naidu detailed that the project will create 7.20 lakh acres of newly irrigated land, stabilise 23.50 lakh acres of existing ayacut, and deliver clean drinking water to over 28.50 lakh citizens.
Furthermore, 23.44 TMC of water will be allocated for critical industrial usage, while the completion of the hydel component will generate 960 MW of power.
The government is also evaluating pumped storage opportunities under a hybrid operational model.
Taking a sharp dig at the previous regime, Naidu criticised the past administration’s confrontational approach, which brought construction to a virtual standstill. He noted that while 72 per cent of the project was finished by 2019, the subsequent government managed just a 2 per cent progress rate over five years.
In stark contrast, the current coalition government accelerated the timeline, spending Rs 7,100 crore over the last two years to push total project completion to 89 per cent.
The Chief Minister expressed deep distress over the extensive damage suffered by the `440-crore diaphragm wall due to past oversight, noting that it caused him sleepless nights.
The structure has now been rectified, and construction of the Earth-cum-Rockfill (ECRF) dam is progressing smoothly over it. Currently, 100 per cent of the works at Gap-3 are complete, while Gap-1 and Gap-2 stand at 40 per cent
and 30 per cent completion respectively. Earthworks on the Right Main Canal are fully completed, while the Left Main Canal earthworks have touched 99 per cent, with connectivity tunnels on track to close by the end of July 2026.
Addressing the grievances of project-displaced families, Naidu assured complete justice for those affected.
Out of the required 94,152 acres, the remaining land acquisition will be wrapped up by October 2026. On the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) front, 17,500 families have already been successfully relocated, with 17,118 houses constructed in dedicated R&R colonies.
