Two irrigation milestones in one week neatly capture the transformation of Andhra Pradesh’s longest-serving political leader: from the “CEO chief minister” who put Hyderabad on the global technology map to a chief minister increasingly seeking to be remembered as the state’s “Water Man”. Water has, in fact, been a constant in Naidu’s political career, even when technology and investment dominated his image.
First Experiment
Naidu’s first big experiment was not a mega dam but Kuppam, his political constituency. In the 1990s, he promoted drip irrigation, horticulture and dairy, introducing Israeli drip technology to farmers accustomed to rain-fed agriculture. The system saved an estimated 30-50% of water while improving yields. Sericulture, poultry and dairy followed, turning agriculture into a more diversified source of income.
That philosophy has travelled through successive governments and projects. In 2015, Naidu’s Pattiseema project linked the Godavari and Krishna basins, enabling surplus Godavari water to be transferred towards the Krishna delta.
Water Politics
But Naidu’s current political pitch is different. It is no longer about announcing individual projects, but about creating a system – completing old projects, repairing existing infrastructure and imposing deadlines.The 2026 Irrigation Calendar exemplifies this approach. Thirty-six priority projects, involving an estimated ₹35,555 crore, have been assigned completion targets between 2026 and December 2028.
The emphasis extends beyond big-ticket construction. Under Jala Dhara-Jala Harathi, launched in April, the government has identified more than 82,000 water-conservation works involving tanks, canals, check dams, farm ponds and groundwater recharge.
There is also unfinished business from Naidu’s earlier innings. Veligonda is finally delivering irrigation and drinking water. Polavaram, which he pushed as a national project, remains the centrepiece of his water strategy. The government says 89% of the works were completed during 2014-19 and 2024-26, with the target of full completion by March 2027.
The numbers matter politically because water has always been Andhra Pradesh’s most difficult development equation – linking agriculture, drought, regional disparities, industry and drinking water. Veligonda inauguration triggered a war of words between the ruling TDP and the Opposition.
YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy accused Naidu of stealing credit. In a post on X, Reddy wrote, “… @ncbn garu, the history of Veligonda is crystal clear: The foundation stone alone was yours. The vision and comprehensive development of the project belonged to YSR garu. The crucial twin tunnels were completed during our government. What you are doing now is simply stealing the credit.”
For a leader whose first political reinvention was as India’s original technology-friendly CEO CM, Naidu is reinventing himself as Andhra Pradesh’s “Water Man”. The computer screens of Cyberabad have given way to canals, reservoirs and water calendars.
The message from Amaravati is clear: in this innings, Naidu wants his legacy to flow through water.
