Former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar on Thursday criticised the pace of works at the Polavaram irrigation project, alleging that progress continues at a snail’s pace despite the formation of a new coalition government in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a media conference in Rajamahendravaram, Undavalli Arun Kumar said frequent visits to the project site by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and senior ministers had not accelerated construction but instead contributed to further delays. He alleged that during such visits, the entire administrative machinery remained engaged in protocol duties, adversely affecting on-ground work execution.

Raising serious questions over the diaphragm wall works, Arun Kumar pointed out that a new diaphragm wall is being constructed to replace the one that was earlier damaged. He recalled that the earlier wall, built at a cost of ₹440 crore, had failed, and questioned how the same Bauer company was once again awarded the contract, this time at an escalated cost of ₹990 crore. He demanded to know why the government had not ordered a thorough inquiry into the earlier failure.

Arun Kumar also referred to former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s assertion that the diaphragm wall was damaged due to mistakes committed during the earlier TDP regime. In this context, he questioned the government’s silence on fixing accountability for what he termed a major technical and financial lapse.

The former MP further demanded that the report submitted by the expert committee on the diaphragm wall failure be made public. He described it as shocking that authorities had cited copyright provisions when the report was sought under the Right to Information Act. The government, he said, must clearly state whether the diaphragm wall failure was caused by human error or by unprecedented floods.

Furthermore, he recalled the past Godavari Pushkaralu stampede, alleging that although a commission had attributed the tragedy to superstition-driven decisions over auspicious timings, the then TDP government remained silent due to its alliance with the BJP.