Andhra Pradesh’s Rs 80,112 Crore Godavari-Banakacherla Link Project To Provide Water For 8 Million People And Irrigate 7.5 Lakh Acres

The Andhra Pradesh government has unveiled plans for the ambitious ‘intra-linking of rivers’ initiative, with the Godavari-Banakacherla project at its core. Estimated at Rs 80,112 crore, the project aims to provide drinking water to 80 lakh people and irrigate 7.5 lakh additional acres, promising to transform the State’s water infrastructure.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, addressing the media at the Secretariat in Velagapudi on 30 December, emphasised the three-segment approach for project execution.

Segment-I: Water will be diverted from the Polavaram project to the Krishna River, with an estimated cost of Rs 13,511 crore.

Segment-II: The Bollapalli reservoir will be constructed to facilitate water transfer, costing Rs 28,560 crore.

Segment-III: Water will be diverted from Bollapalli to Banakacharla at Rs 38,041 crore.

Highlighting its significance, the Chief Minister called the project a “gamechanger for Andhra Pradesh”, envisioning it as the country’s largest irrigation infrastructure. 

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be finalized within three months, with tenders invited shortly after. Discussions with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have already been initiated.

To ensure execution, 48,000 acres of land will be acquired, and funds may be raised through a hybrid model involving private companies. “If private companies are involved, the government can adopt the payment model used in Rajasthan” CM Naidu added.

Dubbed ‘Telugu Thalli Ki Jala Harathi’, the project symbolizes a water offering to Telugu Thalli, aiming to eliminate water scarcity for future generations. With steps to secure 2 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) feet of water daily, the initiative seeks to integrate reservoirs across districts, ensuring economic and social benefits for the state.