THE Polavaram Project, located on the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, is officially recognised as a “National Project” under the Andhra Pradesh Re-Organisation Act, 2014. Construction began in 2005, with the state and central governments claiming it would bring irrigation, hydropower, and drinking water to millions. On paper, it appears as a grand promise of development. In reality, it has become a stark example of capitalist accumulation at the cost of working people, adivasis, and peasant communities.