APIIDC urges Govt to start work on Polavaram Irrigation Project
Vijayawada | Sunday, Nov 22 2009 IST
 

Andhra Pradesh Integrated Irrigation Development Committee (APIIDC) has urged the State Government to start work on Polavaram Irrigation Project and protect Godavari Delta, according to its General Secretary K Nageswara Rao.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Rao said the proposed project would be constructed across river Godavari to reserve 75 TMC of water.

He said the work on the project had started in 2005 and it was to be completed this year. But as the work started some leaders of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and Congress along with some engineers started puting hurdles before it. Even they joined hands with the Chattisgarh and Orissa Governments and filed petition in the Supreme Court to stop the project, he alleged, adding even after the untimely death of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy the same forces had started to obstruct the work by demanding that the height of the project be reduced and the plan changed.

He said the Committee had urged the Government to construct the project as per the recommendations of the previous technical experts committee.

Mr Rao claimed that if the proposed multipurpose project was completed, 7.20 lakh acre of land would be irrigated in Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts.

Morevoer, 23.5 TMC of water would be supplied to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and other plants and six lakh acres of land would be brought under cultivation in Khammam, West Godavari and Krishna districts by setting up lift irrigataion system at Polavram Reservoir, he claimed.

Claiming that due to lack of water farm sector had lost 46 lakh tonnes of grains, worth about Rs 4,790 crore, he said at this juncture Polavarm Propject was necessary to construct and prevent water being discharged into the sea.

-- (UNI) -- 22MS13.xml

 

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