Ambati Rambabu Accuses AP CM of Engineering Lapses in Polavaram Project

The long delay in the Polavaram irrigation project has once again triggered a political clash between the ruling and opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh. YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and former Water Resources Minister Ambati Rambabu has accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of being solely responsible for the setbacks faced by the project.

Addressing the media at the YSRCP office in Guntur on Wednesday, Rambabu alleged that Chandrababu Naidu was spreading misleading claims to cover up serious engineering mistakes made during his earlier term in office. He said the Chief Minister was avoiding direct answers to questions raised by the YSRCP and instead launching attacks based on what he called false narratives.

Rambabu said the root cause of the delay lay in flawed technical decisions taken when Chandrababu Naidu was in power. He criticised the construction of the diaphragm wall before completing the coffer dam, calling it a violation of standard engineering procedures. According to him, warnings issued by the Central Water Commission and international experts were ignored by the then government.

He further claimed that the coffer dam was closed without proper river diversion, leading to flooding that caused severe damage to the diaphragm wall. These actions, he said, resulted in major losses and pushed the project years behind schedule.

The YSRCP leader also alleged that Chandrababu Naidu had agreed to lower the reservoir’s storage capacity, effectively reducing Polavaram from a full-scale reservoir to a barrage-like structure. He said this decision had a negative impact on irrigation, drinking water supply, and the development of north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Rambabu accused the Chief Minister of compromising Andhra Pradesh’s interests to appease Telangana’s leadership, not only in the Polavaram project but also in the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme. He reiterated that Chandrababu Naidu should be held fully accountable for the delay in completing the project.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, during a recent visit to the Polavaram project site, blamed the change of government in 2019 for the slowdown. He said the previous YSRCP government failed to give adequate attention to the project, leading to nearly six years of delay. The Chief Minister added that the project cost had increased significantly and that an additional ₹1,000 crore would be required to complete the diaphragm wall works.