Godavari Water Reaches North Andhra through Polavaram Canal

Context: 

Godavari water has been released into the Polavaram Left Main Canal in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh. It marks an important step towards supplying irrigation, drinking and industrial water to the relatively water-stressed Uttarandhra or North Coastal Andhra Pradesh region.

Godavari River: 

• The Godavari originates at Trimbakeshwar in the Western Ghats, near Nashik in Maharashtra, and flows eastwards into the Bay of Bengal.
• At about 1465 km, it is India’s second-longest river and has the largest basin among the Peninsular rivers, hence the name “Dakshin Ganga.”
• Its important tributaries include the Manjira, Pranhita, Indravati and Sabari.

Polavaram Project: 

• The Polavaram Irrigation Project is a multipurpose project on the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, accorded National Project status under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. 
• It seeks to provide irrigation, drinking and industrial water, generate hydropower and facilitate transfer of Godavari water to other regions.
• It has two major canals:
  • Right Main Canal: Facilitates transfer of Godavari water towards the Krishna basin.
  • Left Main Canal: Carries water north-eastwards towards the Visakhapatnam and north Andhra region.

The current distribution arrangements are expected to benefit around 2.87 lakh acres and 9.23 lakh people. The canal traverses difficult terrain and crosses rivers such as the Pampa, Tandava, Varaha and Sarada before reaching Anakapalli.

Significance: 

• Provides assured irrigation to drought-prone uplands of north Andhra.
• Strengthens drinking-water security for Anakapalli and the expanding Visakhapatnam urban region.
• Supports industrial demand, including the Visakhapatnam industrial belt.
• Enables filling of tanks and reservoirs, improving groundwater recharge.
• Could eventually support the proposed Godavari-Vamsadhara interlinking, extending water benefits towards Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.

The Polavaram Left Main Canal seeks to redistribute Godavari water from the relatively water-abundant lower basin to north Andhra. 

However, the release of water into the canal does not signify completion of the entire Polavaram Project. Its long-term benefits depend on completing the dam, reservoirs, pipelines and distribution network, alongside fair rehabilitation of displaced communities and resolution of environmental and inter-State concerns.