Interlinking of rivers, irrigation projects top priority: N Chandrababu Naidu

Kadapa: While expressing resolve towards the development of primary sector (agriculture) in the State, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said a comprehensive plan has been designed to provide water for 2 crore acres in the coming days. The Chief Minister who was in Kadapa to participate in the ‘Vanam-Manam’ programme at Yogi Vemana University (YVU) on Saturday, said water will be provided to 1 crore acres to transform AP into a horticulture hub.

He said to achieve such a huge task his government was going ahead with two initiatives one is interlinking of rivers, another is completion of irrigation projects in a phased manner. He said interlinking of rivers Godavari and Krishna helped in ensuring water supply to Rayalaseema for agriculture operations and drinking water purpose though the region received deficit rainfall. Naidu said the State government was planning linking of Godavari-Krishna-Penna rivers in the second phase and Godavari-Krishna-Penna-Nagavali-Vamsadhara rivers in the third phase. This would ensure water availability throughout the year.

He pointed out that due to recent floods to River Godavari, 150 tmcft of water was released into the sea. Out of 57 irrigation projects, 20 projects have already been completed and remaining projects are under progress in different stages, he said. Naidu said the initiatives taken by the TDP government helped in ensuring drinking water and water for irrigation purposes to Kadapa district. He said the State government would ensure storage of 90 tmcft of water in reservoirs like Gandikota, Chitravathi Balancing Reservoir, Brahmam Sagar, Pydipalem and other water bodies in Kadapa district.

Pointing out that Kadapa received 56 per cent deficit rainfall in the current kharif season, the Chief Minister assured farmers that the government would release water from Srisailam reservoir to KC canal. Following a plea by local Minister C Adinarayana Reddy, the Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 430 crore for the second lift irrigation scheme to facilitate storage of 23 tmcft water in Gandikota reservoir. Naidu said corruption was rampant during the earlier Congress regime. He said Rs 4,000 crore was looted under Indiramma housing programme and large-scale irregularities were witnessed in the construction of Chitravathi Balancing Reservoir.

“Earlier even devils secured government pensions, now such a system is totally eradicated by adopting highly sophisticated technology,” he said. While stressing the need for people to take up saplings plantation programme in a big way under social responsibility, he said the objective was to increase green cover to 50 per cent by 2029. Naidu called upon students to plant saplings every Saturday and ensure that they are protected.

The Chief Minister lauded the YVU for protecting the ecological balance by planting 40,000 saplings in the university premises. On the occasion, the Chief Minister interacted with the students over promotion of plantation programme. Marketing Minister C Adinarayana Reddy, Minister for Forests Sidda Raghava Rao, TDP Rajya Sabha member C M Ramesh, YVU Vice-Chancellor Ramachandra Reddy, Collector Ch Harikiran and others were present.