CM Naidu releases Godavari waters to North Andhra through Polavaram Left Canal

Amaravati, Sep 2 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday released Godavari waters to North Andhra through the Polavaram Project Left Main Canal, marking a major step towards strengthening irrigation and drinking water availability.

Naidu performed Jala Harathi at Payakaraopeta in Anakapalli district and switched on the regulator across the canal, releasing Godavari waters towards North Andhra.

The Rs 4,192-crore canal, constructed over 213 km, will initially provide irrigation to 2.87 lakh acres across four districts and drinking water to 5.23 lakh people.

The Water Resources Department has constructed aqueducts and syphons at various river crossings to carry the water across natural barriers, including a syphon below the bed level of the Yeleru river.

At the Pampa river, an aqueduct has been constructed using 312 piles driven up to 30 metres deep, while a 447-metre-long aqueduct with six vents across the Tandava river can carry 10,634 cusecs.

In Anakapalli district, around 1.5 lakh acres will benefit from the release, with water planned to fill the Yeleru canal and 110 tanks to strengthen irrigation and drinking water availability.

The project will stabilise irrigation over 1.48 lakh acres under the Pushkara ayacut, 80,000 acres under Yeleru, 12,000 acres under Pampa and 46,620 acres under the Tandava, Varaha and Mamidi Gedda ayacuts.

Later, addressing a public meeting at Payakaraopet, Naidu said the Left Main Canal would provide water to four lakh acres across East Godavari, Konaseema, Kakinada and Anakapalli districts and drinking water to nine lakh people.

He said 23.44 TMC would be supplied to Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli for industrial, drinking water and irrigation requirements, while the canal would be further expanded and connected to the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project.

Naidu said 12 major projects costing Rs 3,200 crore would be completed and dedicated to the nation, while big data centres and IT companies were coming to the region.

He said subsea cable connectivity linking Asia would come to the region and the east coast would be connected with central India through harbours and the Moolapeta Port.

“There will be no migration from North Andhra, but people will migrate to North Andhra. North Andhra will become a developed Andhra,” said Naidu.

Targeting the previous YSRCP government, Naidu alleged that it failed to spend even Rs 500 crore on North Andhra projects, but spent Rs 500 crore on a luxurious residence at Rushikonda. The amount, he said, could have funded four or five irrigation projects.

He accused the YSRCP of "spreading false propaganda", claiming data centres would cause water and power shortages in Visakhapatnam.

According to him, all data centres together would require only five TMC of water, while the Polavaram Left Canal could bring two TMC every day, adding that gravity flow would ensure Visakhapatnam did not face water shortages.

He charged the opposition with "taking credit" for development works, saying it had claimed achievements in Bhogapuram and the Velugonda Project and would now claim credit for bringing Godavari waters to Anakapalli.

“Tomorrow (in the near future), when Polavaram is completed, they (YSRCP) will say that it is also their achievement,” siad Naidu, calling such politics "fake" and alleging that destruction was the true nature of the opposition party.

Naidu said stable governments were essential for permanent development and recalled Neeru-Meeru, Neeru-Chettu, check dams, soak pits, farm ponds, drip irrigation, Neeru-Pragathi and Jaladhara as initiatives taken for water security.

He assured that 36 projects costing Rs 35,000 crore would be completed over the next three years.

Further, Naidu said Rs 25,000 crore had been spent on irrigation during the last two years and called on people to work towards Swarnandhra and make Andhra Pradesh the No. 1 state in line with the 2047 Swarnandhra Vision.

He said cooperation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi had helped strengthen Polavaram, Amaravati and the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and enabled the state to achieve a Railway Zone.

Naidu said Visakhapatnam would be developed as an AI city and emerge as a hub for Google, the knowledge economy, industries and agriculture, becoming a major development address for North Andhra. PTI