Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed officials to fast-track the Rs 58,700-crore plan to connect Polavaram and Nallamala Sagar projects, calling it a critical intervention to expand irrigation coverage and secure long-term drinking water supply in south coastal districts.

At a review meeting at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister said work on the interlinking project must begin immediately, noting that it would enable irrigation for seven lakh acres in Nellore and Prakasam districts, stabilise another six lakh acres, and provide drinking water to nearly 60 lakh people. The project is also expected to earmark 20 TMC for industrial use.

The CM instructed officials to draw plans for diverting 200 TMC of Godavari floodwaters from Polavaram to Bollapalli and Nallamala Sagar, and an additional 50 TMC of Krishna floodwaters from Nagarjuna Sagar to Bollapalli. He said these transfers should be integrated into long-term water security architecture for both Rayalaseema and south coastal Andhra. Reviewing the Purvodaya scheme, Chief Minister Naidu asked departments to finalise proposals for projects worth Rs 40,000 crore, half earmarked for irrigation and half for infrastructure. He said Rs 5,000 crore of this allocation must go into rural road connectivity tying villages to national and state highways.

Naidu directed officials to expand horticulture in 82 clusters across Rayalaseema and Prakasam, targeting 20 lakh acres, and to complete 23 major and medium irrigation projects along with 1,021 tanks to support crop diversification.

In North Andhra, the Chief Minister said irrigation works must be accelerated with a dedicated Rs 5,000-crore package. He highlighted the region’s potential for oil palm and other horticultural crops, and called for promoting natural and organic farming in agency areas. He directed officials to link the Vamsadhara–Nagavali and Champavati rivers at a cost of Rs 169 crore, a move that would provide water to an additional 5,000 acres by synchronising the Hiramandalam reservoir and Narayanapuram dam.