Naidu orders Andhra Pradesh-wide water strategy and faster irrigation works

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to prepare a comprehensive water plan covering drinking water, irrigation and industrial requirements across the state. Naidu issued the instruction during a review of the Water Resources Department at his camp office on Wednesday.

He called for strict implementation of the irrigation calendar and said there should be no compromise on the progress of irrigation projects. The proposed plan is to cover the full water-management chain, including major irrigation projects, lift schemes, distributary and crop canals, micro-irrigation, hydel power and pumped-storage projects. Naidu said short- and long-term measures should be taken urgently to meet the drinking and industrial needs of Visakhapatnam.

He asked officials to speed up water supply through the canal linking the Polavaram Left Main Canal to the Kanithi Balancing Reservoir. He also called for regular reservoir supplies to areas under the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. Naidu said ₹35,000 crore was being spent on priority projects under the irrigation calendar and directed officials to execute them according to schedule.

Reviewing rehabilitation, resettlement and land acquisition for Polavaram, he instructed officials to complete all project-related work by March next year without financial or other obstacles. Officials were also asked to explore developing Polavaram as a tourism destination and to fill reservoirs in Anakapalli district, as far as possible, using water from the Polavaram Left Canal. The Chief Minister urged officials to turn water conservation into a mass movement and use social media to explain irrigation projects and their benefits.

He also proposed taking programmes such as Jaladhara-Jalaharathi to communities to promote groundwater recharge. Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu and senior officials attended the review.