Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan to lay foundation stone

The mega project, with an estimated cost of RS 3,050 crore, is designed to supply treated drinking water to 67.82 lakh people across five districts. Godavari river water will be sourced from Dhavaleswaram, Bobbarlanka and Vemagiri, and treated using advanced technologies 

In a major step towards fulfilling a decades-old aspiration of the people of the undivided Godavari districts, the coalition government is set to launch the ambitious Godavari Water Grid Project, aimed at providing safe and purified drinking water to millions. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan will lay the foundation stone for the project on Friday near National Highway 216A at Peravali.

The mega project, with an estimated cost of RS 3,050 crore, is designed to supply treated drinking water to 67.82 lakh people across five districts. Godavari river water will be sourced from Dhavaleswaram, Bobbarlanka and Vemagiri, and treated using advanced technologies before being distributed through an extensive pipeline network.

The project will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, an investment of Rs 1,650 crore will be utilised to supply drinking water to 39.64 lakh people across 11 Assembly constituencies in the undivided East Godavari district. The second phase, with an outlay of Rs 1,400 crore, will cater to 28.18 lakh people in 12 constituencies of the undivided West Godavari district. The project is being taken up under the Jal Jeevan Mission and is targeted for completion within the next two years.

State Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh said the project marks the fulfilment of an election promise made to the people of the Godavari delta, who have long struggled with drinking water shortages and groundwater contamination. He noted that polluted groundwater has been adversely affecting public health, and the Water Grid Project would provide a permanent solution to the issue.

The minister stated that international-standard water treatment plants would be constructed and that purified drinking water would be supplied directly to households through pipelines. He credited Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan for taking the initiative to bring the long-pending project to fruition.