VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed irrigation officials to strictly adhere to the Irrigation Calendar, ensuring that construction, foundation works, and commissioning of projects are completed on schedule.
Reviewing irrigation projects at the Secretariat, he emphasised that beyond the 25 projects already announced,11 additional priority schemes must also be integrated into the calendar.
He instructed the Finance Department to ensure uninterrupted funding for land acquisition and civil works, stressing that irrigation progress is central to agricultural stability and water security.
Regarding the Polavaram Project, Officials reported that civil works are 88% complete, land acquisition has reached 93%, and R&R is 45% complete.
The diaphragm wall was finished in April 2026, while Earth-cum-Rock Fill Dam Gap-1and Gap-2 are scheduled for completion by March 2027. Twin tunnels linking the right canal are 85% complete, and works on the left canal approach channel, head regulator, and irrigation tunnel are ongoing.
The Chief Minister insisted on monthly reviews, directing water release from Purushottapatnam Lift to the left canal by July 2026. He also ordered a feasibility study for the Meghadrigadda-Champavathi link, and instructed that R&R be completed by April 2027.
Plans for an iconic bridge downstream of the spillway were announced to position Polavaram as a tourism landmark.
The Chief Minister underscored urgency in completing Veligonda Phase - 1 by July 2026, requiring Rs 2,019 crore for head works, canals, distributaries, R&R, and land acquisition.
Officials asked to evolve proactive plans to prevent crop losses in State
In Handri-Neeva Phase-1, canal widening is 92% complete, while Phase - 2 lining at Kuppam-Punganur has reached 85%. Officials reported that 52 TMC of water was transferred to Rayalaseema via Malyala Lift, filling 432 tanks.The Chintalapudi Lift Scheme canal works must be finished by July 2027, while Varikepudiselu and other schemes are to be expedited.
The CM also instructed coordination with the Centre on Nallamala Sagar and the Godavari–Cauvery link.
Highlighting the risks of El Niño conditions, Naidu urged proactive planning to advance sowing seasons and avoid crop losses. Groundwater levels currently stand at 9.49 m, 0.5 m higher than last year.
He emphasised Jaladhara-Jalaharati programmes, micro-irrigation, and water security as critical to reducing electricity costs in agriculture, which presently amount to Rs 17,000 crore annually.
Officials revealed that during 2019-24, 362 lift schemes became defunct due to a lack of budgetary allocations. The CM criticised the previous government for neglecting irrigation infrastructure, pointing out that no funds were earmarked for repairs or modernisation during that period. This neglect, he said, left farmers vulnerable and undermined water security across 10 lakh acres.
Since the coalition government assumed office, 156 schemes have been fully restored and 505 partially revived, but Naidu stressed that the damage caused by earlier inaction has forced the state to spend heavily on revival.
He warned that irrigation sustainability cannot be compromised again, and insisted that every project must be completed within deadlines to rebuild public trust.
Later speaking to mediapersons, Water Resources Development Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu underscored that the government has drawn up a comprehensive action plan covering 36 irrigation projects, each with clear deadlines for foundation, progress milestones, and completion.
He said the plan, spanning 2026-2028, is designed to transform the irrigation sector with structured targets and accountability.
The minister highlighted early successes, noting that Handri–Neeva Phase-1 was completed in just 20 months at a cost of `3,860 crore, transferring Krishna waters to Rayalaseema.
Similarly, Polavaram Left Main Canal (LMC) works, neglected earlier, have been revived with Rs 1,400 crore spent in 20 months, aiming to deliver water to North Andhra by July 2026.
He confirmed that Veligonda Phase-1 will be completed by August 2026, providing relief to fluoride-affected regions.
On Polavaram, Ramanaidu said the project has been put back on track after setbacks under the previous regime, with Chief Minister Naidu setting a firm deadline of June/July 2027 for completion.
The minister announced a 10-year maintenance model for lift irrigation schemes, assigning responsibility to a single agency to ensure continuous operation, transparency in funding, and a reliable water supply. He pointed out that nearly 8 lakh acres depend on lift irrigation in the State.
