Besides measures to increase storage capacity to utilise the water of Polavaram Left Main Canal once it is completed, de-silting of Meghadrigedda reservoir (MGR) to increase its capacity is proposed to meet the growing drinking water needs of the city. After a direction by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Collector N. Yuvaraj deliberated with officials of the Irrigation Department and others concerned and a broad action plan is worked out.
The de-silting will improve the capacity of the 8 MGD MGR, in operation for nearly 40 years now, by 0.13 tmc ensuring supply of drinking water to GVMC for 102 days more at 8 MGD.
Since the Meghadrigedda and Gambhiram reservoirs are no longer used for irrigation, they should be handed over to GVMC, he said. Handing over MGR to GVMC, a stakeholder of Visakhapatnam Industrial Water Supply Company, will enable take up new canals/pipeline.
De-silting estimates
On the issue of de-silting, officials of DCI after a visit advised that bathymetric and photographic surveys be carried out to estimate dredging quantity, it was learnt.
A detailed survey was conducted by Geosence Surveys of Visakhapatnam and the area to be reclaimed has also been identified. De-silting of MGR at Kamparapalem in Pendurti mandala with a cost of Rs.88.68 crore - by wet dredging at an outlay of Rs.83.46 crore and by excavation with a cost of Rs.5.22 crore - is proposed.
Mr. Yuvaraj proposed that de-silting of MGR be taken up under the “Neeru-Chettu” conservation programme of the State Government and sought the approval of the Principal Secretary, Irrigation, for it.
While Polavaram Left Main Canal is expected to be completed by December 2017, construction a lift on the Left Main Canal at Purshottapatnam is considered necessary to utilise more water.
Storage capacity
To create storage capacity once LMC becomes a reality, Mr. Yuvaraj suggested in his action plan that Irrigation Department be handed over the task of increasing the capacity of Gopalapuram tank at Payakaraopeta (1 tmc) and Kondakarla Ava (2 tmc), besides creating a new reservoir at Pedapudi with a capacity of 3.15 tmc.
For storage, APIIC should be asked to meet industrial requirement by developing Krishnampalem tank near Rambilli with a capacity of 1 tmc.
