Effective use of water will create wealth, says Nimmala

Vijayawada : Minister for water resources Nimmala Ramanaidu said wealth can be generated by effective utilisation of water resources in the state. He said the state can achieve the progress and all sections of people will be benefitted with proper use of water resources.

The minister on Wednesday released drinking and irrigation water for Krishna eastern delta region by performing puja at Prakasam barrage.

Later, speaking to media, he said water released from Krishna eastern canals will irrigate 7.38 lakh acre in Krishna, NTR and Eluru districts in the kharif season. Drinking water tanks will be filled with waters in 11 Assembly constituencies.

He said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu issued instructions to take up desiltation works in the canals and drains to speed up the flow of waters. The minister said he took the drains and siltation problem to the notice of the CM and he responded immediately.

Referring to release of Pattiseema water, he said the water supply will be increased from 6,500 cusecs to 7,000 cusecs soon by adding water from Tadipudi lift irrigation scheme. He said Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme will be useful to the farmers of Krishna delta and cater the needs of over 30 lakh people. Farmers of over 13 lakh acres in Krishna delta will be benefitted from Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme water. He alleged that the previous YSRCP government had neglected the Pattiseema project and problems of the farmers.

Minister for information and public relations and housing Kolusu Parthasarathy said irrigation sector suffered very badly due to negligence under the previous YSRCP government. Farmers incurred losses due to inundation of crops in rainy season. He said drains and irrigation canals both are very important and felt desiltation works should be taken up regularly. He said farmers of Pedana, Avanigadda and Bandar areas suffered hardships.

Minister for excise, mines and geology Kollu Ravindra thanked the water resources minister Ramanaidu and CM Chandrababu Naidu for releasing water to Krishna eastern delta in the crucial time. He said people in eastern delta badly need drinking water.

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath alias Chinni, NTR district collector G Srijana, MLAs Mandali Buddha Prasad, Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao, Kagita Krishna Prasad, Yarlagadda Venkata Rao, irrigation engineer-in-chief C Narayana Reddy, SE T J H Prasada Babu, water users association president Aalla Gopala Krishna Rao and others were present.