‘Centre not doing its bit for Polavaram project’.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recently said the Centre had so far released ₹6,700 crore for the Polavaram project against the ₹9,877 crore spent by the State after it was declared a national project and claimed credit for taking it up in a full-fledged manner.

The capital expenditure till date amounted to approximately ₹15,015 crore. The Central Water Commission clearance was obtained for 27 of the 45 gates.

Mr. Naidu told media persons during his project visit on Monday that it was conceived way back in 1941 but had since made little progress.

The TDP government implemented it in a mission mode and achieved many milestones.

He said a barrage would be built on the Krishna at Vaikunthapuram in Krishna district and foundation would be laid soon.

The CM said 59.63% of the project work had been completed and the progress achieved in the left and right main canals stood at 64.56% and 90% respectively.

Water would be released from these canals by May 2019. Up to 96.54% of jet grouting had been completed.

More importantly, the construction of 13.97-metre high diaphragm wall was finished.

Of the 1,66,423 acres required, 1,10,095 acres had been acquired and the remaining land was in the process of being purchased on a priority basis.

He said 28 of 61 irrigation projects were ready to be made operational.

About 32 lakh acres was provided micro-irrigation facility and the ultimate target was to take it to one crore acres.

Earlier, Mr. Naidu had an aerial view of the project and inspected the lower coffer dam and spillway construction work.

Ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, K.S. Jawahar and Pithani Satyanarayana and Polavaram MLA M. Srinivas were present.

THE HINDU