Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu sets Oct 2026 target to complete Polavaram project

Outlining the timeline, Naidu said ECIR Gap-2 work is to be completed by June 2026, approach channel work is to be completed by June 2026, while land acquisition of 16,400 acres remains pending.

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has set an October 2026 deadline to complete construction of the Polavaram multipurpose project.

The Polavaram project, considered the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh, has witnessed multiple delays over the last few years. Once completed, the project will bring an additional ayacut of 7.2 lakh acres into irrigation in the Godavari region and also provide drinking water to 28 lakh families. Naidu on Monday visited the Polavaram project site and held discussions with officials about the progress of the same.

He said that IIT-Hyderabad representatives visited the site and provided factual information about the Polavaram project's diaphragm wall, revealing that 76.79 per cent of the project has been completed so far.

He also said that the central government has approved Rs. 12,157 crore, and tenders have been called to complete the Left Canal up to Anakapalli. He set a target for the diaphragm wall to be completed by December 2025.

Outlining the timeline, Naidu said ECIR Gap-2 work is to be completed by June 2026, approach channel work is to be completed by June 2026, while land acquisition of 16,400 acres is yet to be done.

The Chief Minister explained that his government has planned to complete the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) by 2026. He clarified that the overall target is to complete the entire Polavaram project by October 2026.

Stressing the need to get recognition of an iconic project to Polavaram, Naidu directed officials to complete the project works on a warfooting basis.

Accompanied by his cabinet colleagues, officials, and representatives of allied companies, Naidu visited the Polavaram project on Monday and chaired a meeting at the conference hall here where he issued clear guidelines to the officers concerned.

The officials should function more efficiently to complete pending works with a realistic perspective to achieve the targets set, he said. The officers of the irrigation wing and the representatives of Megha Engineering should properly identify the technical issues and prepare the plans to complete the works on time with precision, the chief minister added.

Naidu also said that the next meeting will mainly focus on the review of progress of the project works and how the plans are being taken forward. It is very crucial to identify the technical aspects and take steps to reach the milestones, Naidu felt, and said that the works for the diaphragm wall and the Earth-cum-Rock-Fill (ECRF) dam too should be taken up simultaneously.

Naidu also made it clear that the works to interlink the Left and the Right canals should be taken up soon and completed at the earliest. The contractors and the officials should also formulate plans and implement them with specific action plans to complete the shifting of material and the trial run in a specific period, the Chief Minister said.

He said that required manpower will be provided for land acquisition and a committed officer will be appointed for supervision. Hence, he is very particular that all the land acquisition and the related works should be completed by June 2026.