The irrigation needs of North Andhra region had been completely neglected by the successive governments in the State though there are 16 small and medium rivers in the region. These rivers can provide 207 TMC of water a year. But, only 100 TMC is being utilised while the rest is flowing into the sea, said former Minister Konathala Ramakrishna.
He led a protest at the foundation stone for the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravathi project at Sabbavaram in the district on Tuesday. The foundation was laid by former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy on February 21, 2009.
Addressing the farmers and supporters, after cleaning the foundation stone with Godavari water and performing puja, Mr. Ramakrishna said the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi Sadhana Samithi, formed with the participation of farmers and members of civil society, would stage protests regularly till the project works were started by the State government.
The project, when completed, could provide irrigation facilities to 8 lakh acres and drinking water to 1,200 villages in addition to meeting the drinking water and industrial needs of Visakhapatnam. Underlining the importance of irrigation for the development of any region, he decried the negligence of North Andhra in this regard. Not even a single paisa was allocated to irrigation projects in the 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets.
The cost of Sujala Sravanthi project was estimated at Rs.7,214 crore in 2009 and negligence in taking up works could have led to doubling of the cost. This was the only project not only in AP but in the country that was neglected after it received administrative approval.
Mr. Ramakrishna demanded that the State Government should immediately call for tenders for the project and allocate at least Rs.5,000 crore for it in the present budget. He called upon all political parties in North Andhra, people’s representatives, NGOs and the public to unite to achieve the genuine demand of the region.
