Polavaram Project : Water release by 2022 kharif says Minister Anil Kumar Yadav

Amaravati: Minister for Irrigation P Anil Kumar Yadav said water will be released from Polavaram project by 2022 kharif season as per the promise made by Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

The minister inspected the progress of Polavaram project works on Wednesday. Later, speaking to media persons at the project site, the minister said that the state government was initiating measures to continue the works despite Covid pandemic.

He said 80 staff members of irrigation department, including five officials at the project site died of Covid. A large number of workers returned to their native places due to Covid and the officials are facing shortage of workers.

Condemning the allegations of TDP leaders, including N Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh against the state government, the minister said that both of them are not venturing out fearing Covid and conducting Zoom meetings by sitting in their houses. He said one has to appreciate the officials and workers for continuing the project works despite of Covid crisis.

Anil Kumar said the diaphragm wall got damaged due to lack of planning in the construction of cofferdam during Chandrababu regime. Forgetting their failure, now the TDP leaders are criticising the government, he said.

Referring to rehabilitation and resettlement packages, the minister said that though the government had tried to complete the construction of 17,000 houses by April, it could not finish the housing works due to Covid. Now the construction of houses will be completed during this season, he assured.