Polavaram, Cotton Barrage renovation will be ready before Godavari Pushkarams: Naidu
Polavaram and the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage renovation will be completed before the Godavari Pushkarams-2027, N. Chandrababu Naidu said at Dowleswaram.
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Performing bhumi puja for the replacement of 117 barrage gates, the Chief Minister said 89% of Polavaram was complete and the project would be dedicated to the nation by March 2027
Published - July 13, 2026 06:45 pm IST - DOWLESWARAM/PICHUKA LANKA
An engineer briefs Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on the Polavaram project works through photographs on display, during his visit on Monday. X/@JaiTDP | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday (July 13, 2026) said the commissioning of the Polavaram irrigation project and the renovation of the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage (SACB) would be completed before the Godavari Pushkarams-2027. The Godavari water is diverted into the Eastern, Central and Western Deltas through the SACB, irrigating 10.30 lakh acres in the Godavari region.
Accompanied by Water Resources Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu and Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh, Mr. Naidu performed bhumi puja at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district for the erection of 117 new gates, replacing the existing gates of the SACB, at a cost of ₹152.95 crore. The renovation project includes the replacement of the existing electrical equipment.
పోలవరం ప్రాజెక్టు స్పిల్ వే నుంచి గోదావరి వరద నీటి ప్రవాహం, ఎగువ, దిగువ కాఫర్ డ్యాం మధ్యన జరుగుతున్న ప్రాజెక్టు పనుల్ని విహంగ వీక్షణం ద్వారా గౌరవ ముఖ్యమంత్రి శ్రీ నారా చంద్రబాబు నాయుడు నేడు పరిశీలించారు. అనంతరం ప్రాజెక్టు లోని ఎర్త్ కం రాక్ ఫిల్ డ్యాం గ్యాప్ 1, గ్యాప్ 2 ల తో… pic.twitter.com/z5U0hvxJhw— CMO Andhra Pradesh (@AndhraPradeshCM) July 13, 2026
Addressing a gathering of farmers at Pichuka Lanka in Atreyapuram mandal of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, Mr. Naidu said: “Totally 89% of the construction works of the Polavaram irrigation project have been completed and the project will be dedicated to the nation by March 2027. Simultaneously, the renovation of the SACB will also be done before the commencement of the Godavari Pushkarams-2027.”
“Worshipping the river is our culture. Earlier, I had the privilege of participating in the two Godavari Pushkarams as Chief Minister. In the next Pushkarams, my fortune is to have an opportunity to dedicate the Polavaram irrigation project, otherwise the ‘Lifeline of Andhra Pradesh’, to the nation,” Mr. Naidu said.
డాక్టర్ అంబేద్కర్ కోనసీమ జిల్లా కొత్తపేట నియోజకవర్గంలో గౌరవ ముఖ్యమంత్రి శ్రీ నారా చంద్రబాబు నాయుడు నేడు పర్యటించారు. ధవళేశ్వరం వద్ద సర్ ఆర్థర్ కాటన్ బ్యారేజీకి 117 కొత్తగేట్ల ఏర్పాటు పనుల్ని ప్రారంభించారు. అనంతరం పిచ్చుకలంకలో కొత్తపేట నియోజకవర్గం రైతులతో ముఖాముఖి మాట్లాడారు.… pic.twitter.com/YuIvf9140A— CMO Andhra Pradesh (@AndhraPradeshCM) July 13, 2026
He claimed that the Polavaram project would have been commissioned by 2021 had the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) been voted to power in 2019. Rajamahendravaram, Kovvur and Polavaram would have better road connectivity to give a fillip to the Akhanda Godavari, Mr. Naidu said.
On the Godavari Delta modernisation, which was also sought by the public representatives, Mr. Naidu said the Water Resources Department was preparing the ground reports and estimates to complete the modernisation within three years. The ongoing study would also include measures to prevent the erosion of the islands of the Godavari.
₹1,200 crore on Pushkarams
On the Godavari Pushkarams-2027, Mr. Naidu said an estimated ₹1,200 crore would be spent on facilities in the urban local bodies, including the Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation and Nidadavolu Municipality.
Responding to the long-pending proposal to develop Pichuka Lanka, raised by Tourism and Culture Minister Kandula Durgesh, Mr. Naidu said: “Pichuka Lanka, spread over 65 acres, and the 200-acre Bobbarlanka, an island of the Godavari river, will be developed as tourism spots.”
Silence on Konaseema railway line
Mr. Naidu was silent on State government funding for the Konaseema railway project. Responding to an appeal by Amalapuram MP G. Harish Mathur on the project, Mr. Naidu advised him to follow up the issue with the Centre.
On the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), Mr. Naidu alleged: “I have tackled the ganja trade, blade batches and rowdies in Andhra Pradesh. However, tackling the Goddali Party (YSRCP) that is assassinating characters through online campaigns remains a herculean task.”
