North Andhra industrial push, Veligonda water to drive AP’s development agenda

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday unveiled a dual development agenda for Andhra Pradesh, turning North Andhra into an industrial and knowledge-economy corridor while advancing the long-delayed Veligonda irrigation project to strengthen water security in drought-prone districts.

Addressing the Swarna Andhra–Swachh Andhra programme at Alamanda-Koduru in Anakapalli district, Chandrababu said North Andhra was poised for a major economic transformation with investments in steel, data centres, pharmaceuticals, aluminium and technology. Anakapalli, he said, would be developed as the state’s No.1 district through coordinated investments, infrastructure and skill development. A 10,000-acre industrial township and a dedicated skill centre are planned to create employment opportunities for local youth.

Defending the proposed data-centre ecosystem against criticism, the Chief Minister said allegations that the projects would exhaust local water resources were being spread even before construction began. He said the data centres would collectively require around 3.5 TMC of water, with additional Godavari water to be brought to Anakapalli through the Polavaram Left Canal. He also said the government planned to replenish local reservoirs and expected Godavari water to reach the district in the first week of September.

Chandrababu projected data centres as a foundation for an AI-driven economy capable of generating opportunities for lakhs of technology professionals. At the same time, he stressed that industrialisation must go hand in hand with environmental protection. Every village should move towards becoming a zero-waste village, he said, citing the disposal of 143 lakh metric tonnes of waste over the past two years and plans to convert waste into gas and manure while increasing the state’s green cover to 50 per cent.

The Chief Minister also launched a political attack on the previous YSRCP government, accusing it of leaving behind governance failures and recruitment irregularities. While defending the Mega DSC process, he alleged serious manipulation in the earlier Group-I evaluation and said those responsible would not escape legal action. He maintained that the coalition government needed time to rectify the previous regime’s failures and reiterated that development must ultimately translate into higher incomes and reduced inequality.<

Veligonda enters final stretch

Meanwhile, a three-decade-old water dream of Markapuram, Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa is set to become reality, with Chandrababu announcing that the first phase of the Veligonda Project will be inaugurated and water released on August 31. The first phase is expected to irrigate 1.19 lakh acres and provide drinking water to nearly four lakh people. The government has spent Rs 2,250 crore over the past two years to complete the phase, Chandrababu said.

Alongside the project announcement, the Chief Minister handed over Rs 250 crore in compensation to displaced families. With this release, the coalition government has paid Rs 768 crore to 6,206 families in 48 days, with another Rs 132 crore pending. Chandrababu linked Veligonda to the state’s larger water-security strategy amid El Niño-induced rainfall deficits and weak reservoir inflows. He also highlighted Polavaram and his proposed Ganga-Godavari-Cauvery river-linking initiative as long-term solutions to southern India’s water challenges.