Godavari Water Reaches North Coastal Andhra
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday released Godavari water to North Coastal Andhra Pradesh through the Polavaram Left Canal system, marking a major step towards meeting the region’s long-pending irrigation and drinking water needs.
Naidu released the water at the canal cross-regulator of the Thandava reservoir at Payakaraopeta in Anakapalli district. He paid his respects to the flowing water before inaugurating the supply.
The ₹4,192-crore project is expected to benefit agricultural and industrial activity across four districts. The Godavari water will provide irrigation to 2.87 lakh acres and drinking water to around 90 lakh people, according to officials.
The project will also supply water to 110 village tanks in Anakapalli district and help stabilise irrigation over 1.48 lakh acres of the Pushkara ayacut. Dedicated supplies have been planned for the Yeleru, Pampa, Thandava, Varaha and Mamidigedda river basins.
Around 23.44 TMC of Godavari water has been earmarked for agricultural needs as well as industrial requirements in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli.
At the programme in Payakaraopeta, Naidu unveiled a commemorative plaque in the presence of Ministers Nimmala Ramanaidu, Vangalapudi Anitha and Kollu Ravindra. Legislators Konathala Ramakrishna and Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, and BJP State president P V N Madhav, were also present.
Later, Naidu walked barefoot with local farmers along the newly filled canal. He invited a veteran farmer to switch on the system that released water into the feeder channels.
“Generations waited for the Godavari water. Today our parched lands have finally got water, ending decades of waiting,” said Ch Satyanarayana, a farmer from Payakaraopeta.
Another farmer, V Parvati of Thandava, said the canal could help prevent crop losses caused by water shortages. “Rice fields used to dry up mid-season. But this canal brings a permanent solution to prevent crop failures,” she said.
The release of Godavari water is expected to improve water availability for agriculture and drinking purposes in the northern districts while also supporting industrial requirements in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli.
For farmers in the region, the flow of water through the canal marks a step towards a more dependable irrigation system and addresses a demand that has persisted for several decades.