Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu visited the Polavaram project today, working closely with officials to assess the entire project. He expressed deep sadness over the current conditions, stating, “By the time we stepped down from power in 2019, 72 percent of the work was completed. However, in these five years, it has deteriorated significantly.” Chandrababu held a review meeting with the officials on the latest situation at Polavaram and later addressed a press conference.
“The Polavaram project was a boon for Andhra Pradesh, and we diligently advanced it, believing that completing this project and linking the rivers would eliminate drought,” Chandrababu remarked. He recounted the efforts made during the 2014 elections, when the TDP won in Andhra Pradesh and the NDA won in Delhi. Chandrababu highlighted his experience and foresight in moving the project forward, particularly the crucial merging of seven mandals from Telangana to Andhra Pradesh to prevent inundation.
Chandrababu explained the significant steps taken before the bifurcation of the states on June 2, 2014. He persuaded the President to pass an ordinance to merge the seven mandals with Andhra Pradesh, a historic move that enabled the continuation of the Polavaram project. He recalled the project’s challenges, including irregularities during its initiation by YS Jagan in 2005, legal battles over land acquisition, and canal mining issues. Under the Kiran Kumar Reddy government, tenders were eventually called, and after the state’s bifurcation in 2014, the project was designated a national project under the Bifurcation Act.