CM: Will complete Polavaram ahead of 2027 Pushkarams
Markapuram: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has declared that the long-delayed Polavaram project will be completed ahead of the Godavari Pushkaralu, which would be held from June 26 to July 7 in 2027.
The Chief Minister addressed a public meeting after inspecting the Veligonda project site and laying the foundation stone for a feeder canal on Wednesday.
Naidu said the Telugu Desam Party-led NDA, after coming to power in June 2024 with over 90 per cent ‘strike rate’ in the General Election, speeded up the Polavaram project works since "it is the lifeline for Andhra Pradesh".
Unveiling the development plan for Markapuram, Naidu assured the completion of Veligonda project by July.
Earlier, Naidu laid the foundation stone for the lining works of the feeder canal, connecting the tunnels of the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda project with the Nallamala Sagar Reservoir at Gantavanipall, and unveiled a development agenda for the newly formed Markapuram district.
The Chief Minister observed the lining works while walking along and interacting with two farmers. He later met officials and reviewed the status of the Veligonda project. Recalling his pre-election promise of granting Markapuram district status, Naidu underlined that the region’s long-standing struggles with backwardness and water scarcity would soon be overcome. He detailed the project’s financial scope, pointing out that the total estimated cost stands at Rs 9,081 crore. Of this, Rs 5,458 crore has already been spent, with an additional Rs 2,540 crore required to complete the remaining works.
This includes Rs 930 crore towards the rehabilitation and resettlement of approximately 7,200 displaced people, along with funds earmarked for tunnels and feeder canals.
To ensure that the pending works relating to the Veligonda project is wrapped up before the monsoon season brings water to Srisailam, the Chief Minister has tasked Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu with the responsibility of monitoring progress and submitting weekly reports. He announced that the project will be completed by July this year and dedicated to the nation.
Once operational, the project will harness 53 TMC of water to irrigate 4,35,000 acres across Giddalur, Markapuram, Yerragondapalem, Kanigiri, Udayagiri, and Badvel constituencies. The project will also deliver a permanent remedy to the severe fluoride contamination plaguing the region’s groundwater, where levels currently range from 2.5 to 7.0 ppm, causing serious health problems for residents. Looking ahead, Chandrababu Naidu expressed his ambition to eventually channel Godavari waters into the Nallamala Sagar through the Krishna River.
The Chief Minister sharply criticised the previous administration, describing the period from 2019 to 2024 as ‘dark days’ for the project. He pointed out that the former government allocated a meagre Rs 500 crore toward the project over five years. He accused former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of “misleading the public through a series of false completion deadlines between 2020 and 2024”, going so far as to inaugurate an incomplete project with a false ceremony.
Signifying his development agenda for Markapuram district, Chandrababu Naidu announced immediate sanction of Rs 50 crore for the construction of a new Collectorate building. He emphasized that the government also plans to spend Rs 1,300 crore to deliver piped drinking water directly from Nallamala Sagar to every household in the region.
Recognising Markapuram’s agricultural strengths, the Chief Minister pledged to transform it and the wider Rayalaseema area into a major horticulture hub to improve farmers’ incomes. Chandrababu Naidu closed his speech by reaffirming his administration’s twin focus on welfare and infrastructure as cornerstones of his vision for Swarna Andhra Pradesh by 2047. Ministers Nimmala Ramanaidu, Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Collector P Raja Babu, SP V Harshavardhan Raju, MLAs, TDP in-charges, and other leaders received the Chief Minister at the helipad for his first visit to Markapuram after the district was formed and participated in the public meeting.
