A decades-old dream of the people of Uttarandhra has finally come true. Godavari waters have reached the soil of North Andhra through the left main canal of the Polavaram project. The historic moment unfolded at Payakaraopeta in Anakapalli district, where Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu performed jalaharati to the sacred waters, sprinkled them on his head, and offered a full prostration on the ground in gratitude.
As water began flowing through the canal, the Chief Minister removed the green scarf from his neck and waved it joyfully in the air. Other leaders and farmers followed suit, waving their scarves in celebration of the long-awaited event.
Earlier, CM Chandrababu Naidu unveiled a stone plaque at the venue. Irrigation Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu then pressed the regulator button to release Godavari water into the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi scheme. The Chief Minister and several farmers also operated the regulator.
The event was attended by Ministers Vangalapudi Anitha, Atchennaidu, Narayana, Kolusu Parthasarathy and Kollu Ravindra, BJP state president P.V.N. Madhav, MP C.M. Ramesh and others.
The Chief Minister arrived at the Polavaram left canal site in an open-top jeep, greeting people along the way. Artists welcomed him with traditional performances including tappetagullu and kolatam.
The journey of Polavaram waters represents a remarkable engineering feat. The canal was constructed by cutting through the Eastern Ghats and crossing rivers such as the Yeleru, Pampa, Tandava, Varaha and Sarada. In some places, aqueducts were built upstream of the river flows, while a special siphon was constructed beneath the Yeleru riverbed to carry the water. Linking this canal with the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi scheme has enabled Godavari waters to reach North Andhra.
In the first phase, the project will provide irrigation to 2.87 lakh acres and drinking water to 5.23 lakh people across Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram and Srikakulam districts. The government’s long-term goal is to irrigate 8 lakh acres across the entire Uttarandhra region.
Godavari Waters Reach Uttarandhra Through Polavaram Left Canal; Chandrababu Performs Jalaharati
