A detailed work schedule has been drawn, and a review is being held every 15 days at the Secretariat. That’s how seriously we are pushing this forward. Once Polavaram is completed, it will enable the transfer of Godavari waters to drought-prone regions such as North Andhra 

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu on Tuesday emphasized that the development of Andhra Pradesh is inextricably linked to the completion of the Polavaram project, describing it as the backbone of the state's irrigation and interlinking of rivers vision. The Minister made these remarks during a meeting with a team of international technical experts who visited the state to provide guidance on the project’s engineering and execution.

Calling Polavaram an “indispensable national project,” Ramanaidu said that only with its completion can the larger mission of interlinking rivers across India begin in earnest. “Polavaram is not just an Andhra Pradesh project—it is a critical node in the national river-linking grid,” he said. The Minister noted that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has placed Polavaram at the top of their infrastructure priorities.

The foreign delegation, part of an expert panel providing technical advice, was briefed on the urgency of completing the project by its scheduled deadline in 2027. Minister Ramanaidu urged them to help accelerate efforts so that the project can be completed even ahead of schedule. He personally inspected the construction of the dam and reviewed the ongoing work at the crucial Gap-2 D-wall section.

Speaking with members of the Panel of Experts, the Minister reiterated the Chief Minister’s commitment, reminding them that Naidu visited Polavaram immediately after taking office and has since reviewed the project three times within ten months. “A detailed work schedule has been drawn, and a review is being held every 15 days at the Secretariat. That’s how seriously we are pushing this forward,” he said.

Minister Ramanaidu stressed that once Polavaram is completed, it will enable the transfer of Godavari waters to drought-prone regions such as North Andhra and Rayalaseema, bringing transformative change to agriculture and livelihoods.

The Minister also called for immediate clearances for pending designs related to Gap-1, Gap-2, and other critical works. He requested the technical panel to ensure fast-track approvals to meet the project timeline. Coordination among the Panel of Experts, Central Water Commission (CWC), Polavaram Project Authority (PPA), AFRI, and other agencies is crucial to finishing the project early, he said.

With major components like the Gap-2 D-wall and upstream buttress dam progressing at a steady pace, the Minister expressed optimism that with continued focus and streamlined approvals, Polavaram can soon emerge as a symbol of national and regional development.