Andhra CM alerts officials about the cyclone in Bay of Bengal

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. File

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed the officials to be alert and take precautionary measures in view of the likelihood of heavy rainfall under the influence of the cyclone developing in the Bay of Bengal.

He instructed them to make effective use of rainfall in the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts by filling reservoirs and irrigation tanks.

In a review meeting with officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) at his camp office Friday (October 23, 2026) evening, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu called for implementing a comprehensive action plan covering flood management, water management and disaster management.

He told the officials to ensure maximum benefits for farmers by preventing the wastage of rainwater, conserving available water and managing irrigation resources efficiently, and ordered that the Chintalapudi lift irrigation project work be resumed next month.

The CM instructed the WRD to complete the construction of 36 identified priority projects in accordance with the prescribed targets and prepare an action plan to make all the projects operational by December 2028. He stated that the government’s objective was to provide tap water to every household and irrigation water to every acre.

He stressed the need to strengthen the existing canal network and enhance water storage capacity, and suggested that plans be made to install solar panels along canals to generate electricity.

Further, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu made it clear that there should be no compromise on technical standards in the construction of the Polavaram project and called for completion of Polavaram right and left main canals by March 2027.

Officials informed the CM that 90.20% of the Polavaram project’s civil works had been completed and work on Gap-1 and Gap-2 of the main earth-cum-rockfill dam was progressing at a brisk pace.

He told the officials to initiate an action plan to link the Godavari and Penna rivers, and transfer Godavari water to the Cauvery. He also asked them to examine the feasibility of constructing barrages at Vaikuntapuram and Chodavaram, upstream and downstream of Prakasam Barrage, to store 14 TMC ft of water.

He also proposed the development of a navigation system for inland water transport from Bhadrachalam to Visakhapatnam via Rajamahendravaram and Vijayawada.