The Andhra Pradesh government has approved ₹152.95 crore for the modernization of the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram, a crucial irrigation structure serving the Godavari Delta. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will lay the foundation stone for the project at Gate No. 1 near Pichukalanka in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.
Originally built by Sir Arthur Cotton between 1847 and 1852, the Dowleswaram Anicut transformed the Godavari Delta into one of India’s most productive agricultural regions. The existing Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage was constructed between 1969 and 1984 to improve irrigation capacity and strengthen flood management.
The 5.837-kilometer-long barrage currently supplies irrigation to nearly 1.013 million acres of farmland, besides providing drinking water to millions of people. The modernization works are aimed at improving the structure’s efficiency, safety, and reliability, ensuring continued support for agriculture and water management in the Godavari Delta.
