Jagan slams Chandrababu over Polavaram 'dramas', demands height clarity
Synopsis
Jagan Mohan Reddy's attack on Chandrababu Naidu over the Polavaram Left Main Canal inauguration cuts to a real engineering and funding dispute: the dam's storage is capped at 41.15 metres against a stipulated 45.72 metres, and the Centre has reportedly refused funds beyond that level. Until that gap is resolved, Jagan argues, every inauguration event is political theatre.
Key Takeaways
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy accused CM Chandrababu Naidu of staging 'dramas' over the Polavaram project on 2 September .
Jagan alleged that water released through the Polavaram Left Main Canal was lifted from the pre-existing Purushothapatnam project at 3,500 cusecs , not gravity-fed from the Polavaram reservoir.
The dam's stipulated Full Reservoir Level is 45.72 metres , but storage is currently restricted to 41.15 metres due to funding limits set by the Centre.
Jagan alleged that 79% of the Left Main Canal works were completed during his predecessor YSR's tenure.
He charged that mismanagement during Naidu's 2014-19 tenure damaged the project's diaphragm wall and foundation during floods.
Jagan demanded answers on full project completion, water storage capacity, and pending displacement packages for affected families.
Former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday, 2 September launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of staging what he called 'dramas' over the Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh. Jagan's broadside came hours after Naidu inaugurated the Polavaram Left Main Canal in Anakapalli district.
The Core Allegation
In a post on X, Jagan questioned the basis of Naidu's inauguration, arguing that the water released through the canal was not flowing by gravity from the Polavaram reservoir but was instead being lifted from the already-existing Purushothapatnam project using pre-installed pumps. 'Chandrababu garu, what is this about lifting Godavari water from the already existing Purushothapatnam project using the already existing pumps, releasing it into the already existing Polavaram Left Main Canal, and then beating the drum claiming, “We have brought Polavaram waters”?' Jagan wrote.
He further alleged that the canal infrastructure itself was constructed during the tenure of the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), and that 79% of the major works relating to the Polavaram Left Main Canal had been completed before Naidu's current government took charge. 'The water is from Purushothapatnam, the canal was constructed during YSR's tenure, but the desperation to claim the credit is yours? What kind of magic is this?' he asked.
Height Dispute at the Heart of the Row
Jagan pressed Naidu on the unresolved question of the project's Full Reservoir Level (FRL). The Polavaram dam's stipulated height is 45.72 metres, but water storage is currently being restricted to 41.15 metres. He argued that completing the dam to its full height would allow water to be stored at full capacity and supplied entirely by gravity through both the Right Main Canal and the Left Main Canal, eliminating dependence on the Purushothapatnam and Pushkara lift irrigation schemes.
'While the FRL of Polavaram is 45.72 metres, water storage is being restricted to only 41.15 metres. The Centre says it will provide funds only up to the 41.15-metre level. Then how will the project be completed to its full extent? How will water be stored to its full capacity? When will the package be paid to the displaced families? What is your answer to these questions, Chandrababu garu?' Jagan demanded.
Jagan's Charge Sheet on 2014-19 Mismanagement
The YSRCP chief did not stop at the current controversy. He levelled a series of allegations against Naidu's earlier tenure between 2014 and 2019, claiming that mismanagement during that period caused significant damage to the project's foundation. According to Jagan, the spillway and cofferdam works were left only partially complete, and the diaphragm wall — part of the main dam's foundation — was taken up without first diverting the river flow.
'Because of your mistakes and mismanagement, not only was the project delayed, but during the floods, the water could not be diverted through the spillway as it was only partially completed. Due to the partially constructed upstream cofferdam, water entered through the gaps and damaged the foundations beneath the main dam, including the diaphragm wall,' he alleged in his post. He also accused Naidu of inflating project estimates across irrigation works.
Pattern of Credit-Claiming, Says Jagan
Jagan drew a broader pattern, alleging that Naidu has been conducting a series of publicity events around irrigation projects — citing Veligonda as a recent example — to claim credit for works he 'neither started nor completed.' The volume of water reportedly involved in Wednesday's release is 3,500 cusecs, which Jagan noted was being pumped through infrastructure that predates the current government.
The Polavaram project, one of India's largest ongoing irrigation schemes, has long been a flashpoint in Andhra Pradesh politics. As the state awaits clarity on funding beyond the 41.15-metre level and on compensation packages for displaced families, Wednesday's exchange signals that the project will remain a defining political battleground in the months ahead.
Point of View
And when do displaced families receive their packages? Jagan's post is politically timed, but the engineering and financial questions he raises are real and unanswered. Naidu's inauguration of the Left Main Canal risks looking hollow if the reservoir cannot be filled to design capacity. Both leaders have governed Andhra Pradesh through phases of this project, and both carry accountability for its delays — a nuance that partisan attacks on either side tend to obscure.
NationPress
3 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Polavaram dispute between Jagan and Chandrababu about?
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused CM Chandrababu Naidu of taking undue credit for the Polavaram Left Main Canal inauguration, alleging the water released was lifted from the pre-existing Purushothapatnam project rather than flowing by gravity from the Polavaram reservoir. He also raised a funding dispute over the dam's height, restricted to 41.15 metres against a stipulated Full Reservoir Level of 45.72 metres.
What is the significance of Polavaram's 45.72-metre height?
The Full Reservoir Level of 45.72 metres is the design height at which Polavaram can store water at full capacity and supply it entirely by gravity through both the Right and Left Main Canals. Storage is currently restricted to 41.15 metres, which Jagan argues limits the project's utility and maintains dependence on costly lift irrigation schemes.
What did Jagan allege about Naidu's 2014-19 tenure and Polavaram?
Jagan alleged that during Naidu's 2014-19 government, spillway and cofferdam works were left partially complete, and the diaphragm wall forming part of the main dam's foundation was damaged during floods because river flow had not been diverted. He claimed these errors delayed the project and forced his subsequent government to spend five years rectifying them.
Who built the Polavaram Left Main Canal inaugurated by Chandrababu Naidu?
According to Jagan Mohan Reddy, 79% of the major works on the Polavaram Left Main Canal were completed during the tenure of the late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. Jagan alleged that Naidu's government is claiming credit for infrastructure it did not primarily build.
What unresolved issues around Polavaram did Jagan raise?
Jagan raised three key unresolved issues: how the project will be completed to its full 45.72-metre level given that the Centre has reportedly committed funds only up to 41.15 metres; how water will be stored to full capacity under the current funding arrangement; and when compensation packages will be paid to families displaced by the project.
