Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Orders High Alert Over Bay of Bengal Cyclone

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed state officials to stay alert and take precautionary steps due to heavy rainfall expected from a developing cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.

Water Management

He asked officials during a review meeting on Friday, October 23, 2026, to use the expected rain in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts to fill reservoirs and tanks. He called for a complete plan covering flood, water, and disaster management to help farmers and stop rainwater waste. Work on the Chintalapudi lift irrigation project will restart next month. He also ordered the Water Resources Department to finish 36 priority projects and make them operational by December 2028, with the goal of supplying tap water to every home and irrigation water to every acre.

Project Deadlines

Officials reported that 90.20% of civil work on the Polavaram project is complete, with work on Gap-1 and Gap-2 moving fast. Mr. Naidu stated that technical standards for Polavaram must not be compromised and set a March 2027 deadline for the right and left main canals. He also asked for plans to link the Godavari and Penna rivers, transfer Godavari water to the Cauvery, and check the feasibility of new barrages at Vaikuntapuram and Chodavaram to store 14 TMC ft of water. Additionally, he proposed an inland water transport navigation system from Bhadrachalam to Visakhapatnam through Rajamahendravaram and Vijayawada, alongside installing solar panels along canals for electricity generation.

Context

Cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal frequently bring heavy downpours to India's eastern coastline, making proactive water resource management essential for flood control and drought prevention. State governments routinely review irrigation infrastructure to balance disaster preparedness with long-term agricultural needs.