Suppose a news release says “Polavaram complete.” Ask what unit it measures. It could refer to a spillway package, headworks, a canal segment, land acquisition or a rehabilitation colony. Section 90's national-project designation remains true regardless of progress, while the release's completion claim needs a project component, denominator, date and certifying authority. A hydrological map locates the project but does not validate an engineering percentage.

Then ask whether the claim concerns funding. A Union release, AP expenditure and contractor payment differ. A new cost estimate does not itself mean the entire sum has been paid. Finally, check R&R and environmental obligations: engineering work can advance while household relocation remains unfinished. The statute explicitly includes those norms. An AP SI candidate should be able to give the stable exam answer (“Godavari, Section 90, national project”) and resist turning that into a current completion claim without evidence.

Worked example: A Polavaram progress dashboard reports expenditure, a contractor says a structure is ready, and families report pending rehabilitation. These statements can coexist because they measure different outputs. Make a three-column evidence grid: financial, engineering and human resettlement. The legal national-project label is a fourth column. Never infer final completion or universal rehabilitation from one favourable percentage.

Active recall: What four qualifiers would make a Polavaram progress percentage meaningful? Which parallel track concerns households?