AP To Execute 36 Irrigation Projects At Cost Of Rs 35,555 Crore
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government will complete 36 major irrigation projects with an estimated cost of Rs 35.555 billion by the end of 2028.
The government has prepared an action plan to complete execution of 36 major projects on priority, water resources minister Nimmala Ramanaidu told the media here on Tuesday. He noted that the government allocated $24,611 billion from the budget to the water resources department in the last two years, of which $12,484 billion was allocated to projects in the Rayalaseema region.
The Minister released the bi-annual progress report of the water resources department and said that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has made significant budgetary allocations to the department.
He said that 11 irrigation projects will be completed on priority in the northern Andhra region in the next two years. “We have also completed the Handri-Neeva project in two phases by allocating Rs 3,870 crore in 100 days to transform the Rayalaseema region.”
Touching on the expenditure incurred for starting various irrigation projects, the minister said the TD government spent ₹66,000 crore in 2014-19, of which ₹12,000 crore was spent on Rayalaseema projects.
He stated that the previous YSRC government spent ₹32,059 crore in 2019-24, while the alliance government spent ₹24,611 crore in 2024-25. Apart from this, 12,484 crore was spent in Rayalaseema alone.
The minister made a presentation on the progress in execution of several projects including Polavaram, Veligonda, Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi, several north Andhra projects, Chinthalapudi and 1,026 lift irrigation schemes in the state.
He also highlighted the revival of water user associations, Jaladhara Harathi, dam safety studies and many other efforts.
Earlier, the minister had said that the YSRC government had adopted the ‘reverse tendering’ policy, which had adversely affected the irrigation sector. This, he claimed, led to a debt of ₹18,000 crore to the exchequer.
He said that the current government has announced an irrigation schedule for the first time in the country for time-bound execution of irrigation projects.
