Godavari waters to flow into North Coastal Andhra via Polavaram Left Canal from September 2

Godavari waters to flow into North Coastal Andhra via Polavaram Left Canal from September 2

VISAKHAPATNAM: Godavari river waters are set to be channelled into North Coastal Andhra Pradesh through the Polavaram Left Canal, with the first release scheduled for September 2, 2026. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will formally mark the occasion by operating the regulator at Payakaraopeta in Anakapalli district and performing ‘Jala Harathi’ at Sitarampuram.

The 213-km Polavaram Left Main Canal, carved through the Eastern Ghats with tunnels, aqueducts, and a siphon beneath the Yeleru river, will carry water to the region, as reported by The New Indian Express. Around 5.23 lakh people and 2.87 lakh acres of ayacut across four districts are set to benefit from the release, the report added.

Water for irrigation and drinking

According to The New Indian Express, the release will provide an additional source of water for irrigation and drinking purposes. Anakapalli district is among the first to benefit, with about 1.5 lakh acres of ayacut expected to receive irrigation support. An action plan has been prepared to use the water to fill the Yeleru canal and 110 tanks.

The water will flow through the Left Main Canal across the Yeleru, Pampa, Tandava, Varaha, and Sharada river systems, the report said. It is also expected to stabilise 1.48 lakh acres in the Pushkara irrigation zone, including 80,700 acres under the Yeleru ayacut and 12,000 acres under the Pampa ayacut. Another 46,620 acres in the Tandava, Varaha, and Mamidi Gedda zones are proposed to be stabilised.

The Left Main Canal, including its drinking water canals, has so far involved an expenditure of Rs 4,192 crore, according to The New Indian Express. It was designed to utilise 23.44 TMC of Godavari water for irrigation, drinking, and industrial requirements, with the original plan envisaging irrigation benefits for four lakh acres.

Technical feats and project status

Constructing the canal involved negotiating difficult terrain, including building tunnels, siphons, and aqueducts. At the Yeleru river, engineers constructed a siphon to carry the canal water below the riverbed, The New Indian Express reported. At Pampa, an aqueduct was built across the river, with its foundations supported by 312 piles reaching 30 metres into the ground. A 447-metre-long aqueduct with six vents has been constructed across the Tandava river, designed to carry a flow of up to 10,634 cusecs.

However, irrigation officials clarified that the release of water does not indicate the completion of the main Polavaram irrigation project, where construction on the dam and headworks remains ongoing, as reported by The Hindu. Instead, the government is utilising existing pump arrangements and completed stretches of the left canal network to draw and divert river water to meet pressing regional demand.

Water distribution plan for Visakhapatnam

According to The Hindu, the State government aims to store and distribute up to 27 TMC of water across various storage points in the Visakhapatnam region. The strategy seeks to capture seasonal flows that would otherwise drain into the sea and channel them into local water bodies for long-term supply management.

Out of the allocated 27 TMC, approximately 5 TMC will be diverted to the Kanithi Balancing Reservoir located within the premises of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, an irrigation official told The Hindu. The remaining 22 TMC will be distributed across a network of local storage facilities and natural tanks, including Penjeruvu, Krishnampalem, Kondakarla Ava, and Gopalapatnam Ava.

The diversion of Godavari water will bolster long-term water security for Visakhapatnam, which is experiencing rapid urbanisation and industrial expansion, the official added. To integrate these inflows with the city’s municipal network, construction of a major connecting pipeline from Kanithi to Narava is underway, with completion targeted for March 2027. Once operational, the link will facilitate the transfer of surplus water to the Meghadrigedda reservoir.

Security and rehabilitation

According to The New Indian Express, around 1,600 security personnel have been deployed for the Chief Minister’s visit to Payakaraopeta. The deployment includes 3 Additional SPs, 9 DSPs, 36 CIs, 90 SIs, 150 ASIs/Head Constables, 427 constables, 150 women constables, and 249 HGs. Additionally, 472 families were rehabilitated to facilitate the canal works, the report added.