SRIKAKULAM: Minister for Water Resources Devineni Umamaheswara Rao on Tuesday said that the government would construct another barrage on the Vamsadhra after resolving the dispute with Odisha. The Minister said that construction of a barrage near Katragadda would help utilise the Vamsadhara water to the optimum. He said that the side weir would only help draw excess water during floods. The Minister visited the Vamsadhara reservoir being constructed in Hiramandalm and reviewed its progress.
“We will try to find a permanent solution to the problems of displaced persons. Meanwhile, works will be completed as per schedule. The government will review the progress constantly till release of water from the reservoir,” he told the media later. District Collector P. Lakshmi Narasimham, Principal Secretary, Irrigation, Sasibhushana Rao, Engineer-In-Chief M. Venkateswara Rao, and Superintend Engineer B. Applala Naidu accompanied the Minister.
Contractors warned
Correspondent in Vizianagaram writes:
Mr. Umamaheswara Rao said that branch canals to the Thotapalli reservoir would be completed in all aspects by June to enable release of water for 1.20 lakh acres.
Mr. Umamaheswara Rao, accompanied by Rural Development Minister Kimidi Mrunalini, and District Collector Vivek Yadav, inspected the canal works at Seripeta in Gurla mandal on Tuesday. He warned of action if contractors failed to speed up the works and complete them by June. He also asked the Collector to settle land disputes, if any, at the earliest.
Mr. Umamaheswara Rao said that with the inauguration of the Thotapalli project in 2015, water was being supplied directly to one-lakh acres and indirectly to 45,000 acres. As a result, the yield per acre during this kharif was 40 bags of paddy. In the next five or six months, he said 200 minor irrigation tanks would be linked.
He said that Rs.1,000 crore was being spent on the Vamsadhara Phase I and II. Efforts were on supply water to Sompeta and Ichhapuram mandals.
Ms. Mrunalini said completion of work on the 118-km Thotapalli canals helped improve the water storage level in the Gadi Gedda reservoir. To overcome water problem in Cheepurupalli, she appealed to Mr. Umamaheswara Rao to sanction revetment of canals.
SE (Thotapalli) D. Tirumala Rao was present.
