Amaravati, Dec 16 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Monday that his government has set the target of completing Polavaram project by October 2026.

He directed officials to complete the diaphragm wall by December 2025.

The Chief Minister along with his Cabinet colleagues and officials visited the project site across the Godavari River at Polavaram in Eluru district. After an aerial survey of the site, he chaired a meeting where he issued clear guidelines to the officers concerned.

Stressing the need to get recognition of an iconic project to Polavaram, he asked the officials to complete the project works on a war footing.

The Chief Minister said officials should function more efficiently to complete the works with a realistic perspective to achieve the targets set.

The officers of the Irrigation wing and the representatives of the engineering firm looking after the project should properly identify the technical issues and prepare the plans to complete the works on time with precision.

The Chief Minister said that the next meeting will mainly focus on the review on the progress of the project works and how the plans are being taken forward.

It is very crucial to identify the technical aspects and take steps to reach the milestones, Chandrababu Naidu felt and said that the works for the diaphragm wall and the Earth-cum-Rock-Fill (ECRF) dam too should be taken up simultaneously.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that the ECRF gap-1 works will be taken up by December 24 to be completed by February 26. The Chief Minister told the officials to complete the gap-2 works before December 27 besides taking up the other works too to complete them simultaneously on a war footing.

Chandrababu Naidu also made it clear that the works to interlink the left and the right canals should be executed on time. The contractors and the officials should also formulate plans and implement them with specific action plans to complete the shifting of material and the trial run in a specific period, the Chief Minister said.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said that the required manpower will be provided for land acquisition and a committed officer will be appointed for supervision.

He was very particular that all the land acquisition and the related works should be completed by June 26.

The Chief Minister said that the necessary proposals for granting permissions are yet to be sent as per the norms and this should be taken up on priority basis so that the works can be completed swiftly.

He clarified that the Supreme Court directions should be followed rigidly with regard to project works in rehabilitation and other related matters. The Special Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad, explained in detail the progress of the project works and other related issues.

The Minister for Water Resources, Nimmala Ramanaidu, Minister for Housing, Information and Public Relations, Kolusu Parthasarathi, Minister for Civil Supplies, Nadendla Manohar and Eluru MP, Putta Mahesh Kumar along with local MLAs and officials were present.