Amaravati, Mar 24 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday directed officials to explore the feasibility of managing the Polavaram-Banakacherla linkage project under an operation model to reduce financial burden.

He suggested generating electricity for lifting Godavari waters through pumped storage and solar plants in a review meeting at the state secretariat, emphasising the need for swift approvals with Water Resources Department officials.

Also Read | Gold Rate Today: Yellow Metal Price Surges Amid Global Uncertainty, May Touch USD 3,100 Mark per Ounce Soon.

"The Polavaram-Banakacherla project, costing Rs 81,900 crore, includes 368.60 km of open canals, a 20.5 km main tunnel, and 17 km of pipelines, requiring 54,000 acres of land, including 15,300 acres of forest," Naidu said in a press release late Monday.

The TDP supremo said the Detailed Project Report (DPR) must be completed by June 20, and Central Water Commission (CWC) approval should be secured by October 20.

Also Read | Ajay Seth, 1987 Batch IAS Officer of Karnataka, Appointed Finance Secretary.

He further instructed the officials to obtain environmental clearances at the earliest to ensure the project's timely execution.

Naidu said that the project would be executed in three segments using nine lifts and 3,377 MW of electricity, adding that the Bollapalle reservoir, a key component, would have a live storage capacity of 152 TMC.

Following the completion, the project would provide irrigation to 12.4 lakh hectares, benefiting villages along the 400 km canal route.

This mega project would also generate 430 MW of electricity and support fisheries in the Bollapalli reservoir while officials estimated an annual economic benefit of Rs 12,294 crore, Naidu noted.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)