Krishna delta modernisation Works progress at snail’s pace

Delay is attributed to release of water for rabi crop

Guntur: The delay in executing works relating to Krishna delta modernisation project has led to cost escalation. Though the government in the united Andhra Pradesh approved the plan and sanctioned Rs 4,500 crore way back in 2008, the work on most of the packages did not begin at all.

According to sources, the contractors were unable to even commence the work on some packages they were entrusted with because the Irrigation officials had failed to give them required seven months time to dry the riverbed and begin the works. The demand for release water for the rabi crop between January and March every year has hampered the modernisation works. January is the ideal time to commence works on canals. The works can be carried out till June.

The reluctance on the part of farmers to declare holiday for rabi crop has led to the abnormal delay in completing modernisation of delta system which would have benefited the farmers in the long run. Now the government has constituted an expert committee to study the reasons and explore the ways to speed up works.

The works on the western Guntur delta, which covers even Prakasham district, is going on at snail’s pace. Deputy Superintendent Engineer, Irrigation, M Nageshwar Rao told The Hans India that 44 per cent of irrigation works, 65 per cent of drainage works and 36 per cent of dredging works were already completed.

The expert committee constituted by the government would come up with suggestions to ensure that the works were executed without further delay, he said. The works in western delta were taken up and the cost of them was estimated to be Rs 1,500 crore.

As much as Rs 835.31 crore worth of works on eight packages were in progress, he said. The modernisation works include replacing of more than 160 year-old shutters, sluice gates, strengthening of bunds and repairing of drains, etc.