An inland waterway is being planned from Pulichintala Project to Prakasam Barrage, a distance of 85 km, in the first phase and 2016 end has been set as the deadline for its completion, Minister for Major Irrigation Devineni Umamaheswara Rao has said.
Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday, the Minister said in the second phase inland waterways would be developed from Vijayawada to Kakinada in two years and the project would be completed by 2018.
He said the waterways would be designed in such a way that boat having the capacity to carry 100 metric tonnes would be able to float in these waterways.
The delay in the modernisation of the deltas was a boon because several structures would have had to be demolished for widening. Now bigger structures like bridges and navigation locks could be built directly, he said.
He said that the inland waterway from Pulichintala would come in handy to bring in material for the construction of the new capital from the cement factories at Jaggayyapeta.
The construction of Polavaram Dam was the number one priority of the State government, the Minister said.
“Completion of Polavaram dam is top on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s priority list. He is going to monitor progress in the project personally. He is going to have a review meeting once a week,” Mr Umamaheswara Rao said.
He said that L&T had been entrusted the job of completing the spillway works which involved digging of 100 metres deep into the river bed.
The Minister said that the State would require between Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 4,000 crore for making progress in the irrigation sector.
A feasibility study was being made for another barrage upstream Amavarati and studies were being made with a probable maximum flood of 16 lakh cusecs. The barrage would have the capacity to hold another 3 tmc ft of water, the Minister said.
The Dredging Corporation of India agreed to prepare a plan for the dredging of Krishna River upstream of Prakasam barrage for sand that could be used for the construction of the capital.
Work would be taken up to increase the capacity of Jalleru Dam on Godavari River to 20 to 30 tmc ft, he said.
In the pipeline
85-km waterway to be developed upstream Prakasam Barrage
Inland waterway from Vijayawada to Kakinada in the second phase
Feasibility study is being done for another barrage upstream Amavarati
