Giving his word on behalf of the government, Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao has stated in the floor of the Legislative Council that three main irrigation projects of Rayalaseema will be completed during 2016-17.
Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi phase I and II to provide irrigation facilities to four districts of Rayalaseema and drinking water to about 33 lakh people by utilising 40 tmc of flood water from Krishna river, Galeru Nagari phase I to irrigate farm land in Kadapa, Chittoor, and Nellore districts and pending works of Telugu Ganga project to benefit ayacut in Kurnool, Kadapa, Nellore, and Chittoor will be completed this year.
For HNSS two phases and GNSS phase I, target has been set to provide water for the kharif in June. Priority will be to push water first through eight pumps into the HNSS main canal and fill all the tanks first that will recharge borewells. The Telugu Ganga works will be completed in six months.
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Replying to the special discussion on pending projects in Rayalaseema under Rule 311 in the House on Wednesday, Mr. Umamaheswara Rao said that the government was stabilising the Krishna delta, diverting the Godavari waters to the Krishna delta while releasing same quantum of water from Srisailam to Rayalaseema projects to protect ayacut in the four districts. The Veligonda project to benefit Prakasam district will be completed in 2016-17.
The work on the Polavaram Diaphragm wall and rockfill dam was progressing at a brisk pace. “We are keen on speeding up the project, protecting Sagar ayacut, taking the Krishna and the Godavari water to Rayalaseema,” he said.
Emphasising government’s commitment to end drought situation in Rayalaseema, Mr. Umamaheswara Rao recalled that last year they gave 17 tmcft water under HNSS and this year 8 tmcft though not a drop was released to Srisailam from Alamatti and Tungabhadra. The 8.2 tmcft of the Godavari water from Pattiseema was given to the Krishna delta and in its place 8 tmcft from Srisailam was taken to Kurnool and Anantapur. “In future when 80 tmcft is released to Krishna, 80 tmcft will be released to Rayalaseema from HNSS,” he said.
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The State government gave highest priority to irrigation. Against budget allocation of Rs.4,678 crore in 2015-16, the government had spent Rs.7,997 crore as on March 15, he said.
Speedy completion
of projects sought
Earlier, PDF member Geyanand, CPI member P.J. Chandrasekhar, Congress member B. Chengalrayudu, YSRC member Govind Reddy, BJP member Somu Veeraju demanded speedy completion of irrigation projects in Rayalaseema as well as industrial development as promised in the State Reorganisation Act. TDP members Payyavula Keshav, Thippe Swamy, G. Srinivas, and Samanthakamani appreciated the government for speeding up the irrigation projects that were neglected by successive Congress governments.
The State government is committed to ending drought situation in Rayalaseema.
Devineni Umamaheswara Rao
Water Resources Minister