Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu pushed officials on Friday to speed up the Polavaram project and wrap it up well before the 2027 Godavari Pushkarams. During a review meeting at the Secretariat, he stressed the need to grab quick approvals from the Central Water Commission and the Union Water Resources Department, while keeping quality top-notch.
Officials updated Naidu on the progress: They’ve finished 37,302 out of 63,656 cubic meters of the diaphragm wall work, and the buttress dam is 100% complete. Naidu wants the earth-cum-rockfill construction on the main dam to kick off in November and end by December 2027. He also set tight deadlines for the Polavaram right canal tunnel, approach channel, head regulator, and irrigation tunnels to stay on track.
For the left main canal, Naidu ordered completion by January 2026 so water can flow all the way to Anakapalli. He urged teams to handle land acquisition and rehabilitation fast, without any holdups.
Naidu sees big potential beyond irrigation—he wants to turn the Polavaram project site into a top tourism spot in Andhra Pradesh. His ideas include building an iconic road connecting it to the national highway. He also called for launching the Akhanda Godavari project, centered in Rajahmundry, and linking the whole Polavaram effort to the Real Time Governance Society with CC cameras for real-time monitoring.
Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu, and other key officials joined the discussion.
The Godavari Pushkarams are set for 2027, drawing huge crowds like a Southern Kumbh Mela. Last month, neighboring Telangana announced plans to ask the central government for a special package to handle the expected pilgrim rush starting July 23. The Godavari River stretches about 560 km through Telangana, and the state aims to set up around 74 ghats for the event.
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