Rayalaseema Development Committee Chairman Byreddy Rajashekara Reddy on Monday led a team of Rayalaseema Rights activists to the Krishna River Management Board office at Errum Manjil in Hyderabad to submit a memorandum to KRMB Chairman Prathap Singh seeking redesign of the proposed ‘Iconic Bridge,’ connecting Telangana and Rayalaseema, and to construct a bridge-cum-barrage for succouring agriculture connecting Somasila-Siddheswaram.
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The Committee members from all Rayalaseema districts submitted a letter addressed to Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari, they said spending huge sums from exchequer must deliver emancipation and alleviation of poverty for millions of agriculturists and the poor. “In this case it’s possible to achieve that by a redesign of the proposed Iconic Bridge on NH 167. The committee members also requested the Chairman to set up their office in Kurnool instead of taking it to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from easing commuting to Tirumala, if it is rationally designed as a “Bridge cum Barrage”, it will stabilise the much-needed Krishna river ayacut and provide drinking water to lakhs. “Severe drought and water scarcity coupled with State Government’s vested interest of Power Generation, is resulting in Water mismanagement,” the letter alleged.
The Krishna River Water Management Board will become a beacon for other such bodies, if it comes with an execution plan for a much needed water storing barrage, rather than a mere tourist attraction ‘Iconic Bridge.’ Such a move will stabilise irrigation pattern and rhythm for Rayalaseema through Pothi Reddy Padu Head Regulator, K C Canal, Handri Neeva Flood Waters Utilisation and several other similar infrastructural facilities for the cause of agriculture. It will also aid through Left Canal a vibrant agrarian activity in South Telangana (i.e Palamuru / Mahabub Nagar) ending Distress Migration.