Sujala Sravanthi will be ready by 2019: N Chandrababu Naidu

Gobburu (Visakhapatnam): The dream project of Andhra Pradesh, Babu Jagjivan Ram Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi approved in 2009 during the Congress regime at an estimated cost of Rs 7,214 crore and abandoned later, would be taken up on a war-footing and completed by 2019, said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

The project was to lift 63.2 TMC of surplus waters of the river Godavari to provide irrigation facilities to the contemplated ayacut of 8 lakh acres in three districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, besides supplying drinking water and industrial water to the area.

Addressing a public meeting after offering Jalasiri Ki Harathi at Narasapuram anicut over Sarada river here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister announced the administrative sanction to execute the Babu Jagjivan Ram Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project phase-I for diversion of 10 TMC of water from the Polavaram Irrigation Project Left Main Canal from KM 162.409 up to the Pedapudi reservoir for a contemplated ayacut of 1.30 lakh acres at an estimated amount of Rs 2,022.20 crore.

The phase one project will benefit 133 villages in eight mandals in the district irrigating 1.30 lakh acres. The chief minister announced this project during Mahanadu on the request of Rods and Buildings Minister Ch Ayyanna Patrudu.

“Around 3,000 TMCs of water is flowing into the ocean. We need to tap this water to green the three districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam district. I assure you to complete all the projects related to Sravanthi before we go to elections in 2019,’’ Naidu said.

Highlighting the importance of three-day Jalasiri ki Harathi, which he said being launched all over the state to please the river gods, Naidu said the Telugus have a rich tradition of offering prayers to the rivers Godavari and Krishna and perform pujas during Pushkars. Jalasiri Ki Harathi has been launched in the state to tell the people on the importance of rivers, water preservation and harvesting.

The state has 35 small rivulets, 4.9 lakh ponds, 15 lakh borewells, 1.15 lakh lift irrigation schemes, 58,000 check dams and 6 lakh rain harvesting pits. In spite of having these resources and 95cm of annual rainfall, the state is still groping for water, the Chief Minister added.

He said 28 projects have been completed so far spending Rs 13,000 crore and Rs 10,000 crore has been allocated during this financial year. The state has 2 crore acres of land and presently irrigation water is being supplied to 1 crore acres and if the present projects on hand are completed another 20 lakh acres will be added. He asked the farmers to go for horticulture products in at least 40 lakh acres for more returns.

The Chief Minister read out the Jalasiri Ki Harathi pledge to the people at the end of the meeting.Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa, ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Ch Ayyanna Patrudu, Anakapalle MLA Peela Govind Satyanarayana and Visakhapatnam MP Dr K Haribabu were present.

By KMP Patnaik