Historic Milestone: CM Chandrababu Naidu Releases Godavari Waters to North Andhra via Polavaram Left Main Canal

In a monumental leap toward resolving the decades-old irrigation and drinking water crisis in North Andhra, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday officially released the Godavari river waters through the Polavaram Project’s Left Main Canal.

Fulfilling a major electoral and administrative promise, CM Naidu operated the regulator at Payakaraopeta in the Anakapalli district, ceremonially welcoming the river waters with a traditional Jala Harathi. This massive engineering feat is expected to transform the agricultural and economic landscape of the region, solidifying Naidu’s legacy as he races to complete the entire Polavaram project by his self-imposed 2027 deadline.

The £4,192-Crore Lifeline

The Polavaram Left Main Canal, stretching over 213 kilometers, represents an engineering marvel carved through the difficult terrain of the Eastern Ghats. Built at a staggering cost of ₹4,192 crore, the canal system navigates geographical barriers through a complex network of tunnels, aqueducts, and deep-ground siphons.

Notable engineering highlights include:

• The Yeleru River Siphon: A massive underground siphon designed to carry the canal water beneath the natural riverbed.
• The Pampa River Aqueduct: Supported by 312 concrete piles driven 30 meters deep into the earth.
• The Tandava River Aqueduct: A massive 447-metre-long structure featuring six vents, capable of carrying a massive flow of up to 10,634 cusecs of water.

Immediate Impact and Beneficiaries

The immediate release of the Godavari waters will utilize 23.44 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) to cater to the critical needs of Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts.

According to Water Resources Department officials, the canal will initially provide:

• Irrigation to over 2.87 lakh acres of agricultural land.
• Drinking water to approximately 5.23 lakh residents across four districts.

In the Anakapalli district alone, nearly 1.5 lakh acres will benefit immediately as the waters are directed to replenish the Yeleru canal and fill 110 local tanks. Furthermore, the project is designed to stabilize multiple crucial irrigation zones, including the Pushkara (1.48 lakh acres), Yeleru (80,700 acres), Pampa (12,000 acres), and the Tandava, Varaha, and Mamidi Gedda ayacuts (46,620 acres).

The Grand Vision: Linking with Sujala Sravanthi

While Wednesday’s inauguration is a massive victory, it is only phase one of a much broader vision for North Andhra (Uttarandhra).

The state government plans to progressively expand the Left Main Canal and integrate it with the highly anticipated Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project. Once interconnected, Godavari waters will be pumped into the upland, historically parched reaches of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, and Srikakulam districts.

Upon full completion of this wider network, the government expects to stabilize irrigation across a staggering eight lakh acres in North Andhra, drastically accelerating agricultural, industrial, and economic development across the entire region.

With tight security involving over 1,600 police personnel overseeing the launch, CM Naidu paid deep respects to the Godavari waters, performing a Namaskaaram in front of the regulator. Political analysts note that the successful, phased execution of the delayed Polavaram project is poised to become a cornerstone of Naidu’s administration leading into the 2029 elections.

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