In a landmark moment for Uttarandhra, Godavari waters have begun flowing into the region through the Polavaram Project’s Left Main Canal, fulfilling a decades-old dream of reliable irrigation for the people of north Andhra Pradesh. The waters, which have crossed four rivers and the Eastern Ghats, are now set to transform barren lands into fertile fields.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will formally release the waters with a traditional ‘Jala Harati’ ceremony on Tuesday, September 2, at Payakaraopeta in Anakapalli district. The Chief Minister is scheduled to arrive at 2:20 pm, inaugurate the regulator constructed on the canal, and release the water. He will later address a large public meeting. With this, the coalition government has delivered on its promise to bring Godavari water to Anakapalli within the year.
The Left Main Canal is being hailed as an engineering marvel. To transport Godavari water northwards, the canal had to cross the Pampa, Tandava, Varaha and Sarada rivers, the Yeleru canal, and the Eastern Ghats. The state government invested ₹4,192 crore and deployed advanced technology for the complex structures. Aquducts were built above some river courses, while siphons were constructed below others. Notable among these are a deep siphon under the Yeleru riverbed and a massive aqueduct with 30-metre-deep foundations across the Pampa. An aqueduct spanning 447 metres was built across the Tandava to handle a discharge of 10,634 cusecs, underscoring the project’s technical complexity.
In the first phase, the released water will provide irrigation to 2.87 lakh acres across four districts and drinking water to 5.23 lakh people. Anakapalli district alone will benefit with irrigation for 1.50 lakh acres. The Water Resources Department has also prepared plans to fill 110 tanks in the district. Stabilisation is expected for 1.48 lakh acres under the Pushkara ayacut, 80,000 acres under Yeleru, and over 58,000 acres under the Pampa, Tandava, Varaha and other systems.
The government’s longer-term goal is to extend the canal to Visakhapatnam next year and link it with the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project. The 213-km Left Main Canal will ultimately utilise 23.44 TMC of water. Once the full plan is completed, approximately eight lakh acres across Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam and Srikakulam districts—including upland areas—will receive irrigation and drinking water, fundamentally transforming the landscape and economy of Uttarandhra.
This release marks the beginning of a new chapter in the irrigation history of north Andhra Pradesh.
Godavari Waters Reach Anakapalli: Chandrababu to Inaugurate Historic Release on September 2
