Rs. 1,300 cr. for Godavari lift scheme, says Naidu

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday announced a Rs. 1,300 crore scheme to divert Godavari water to Krishna delta by July/August this year to augment irrigation facilities in Rayalaseema region.

As the completion of Polavaram project, which was declared a national project, would take about four years, 30 pumps would be set up to pump Godavari water to Krishna delta and the water saved thereby would be sent from Srisailam reservoir to the Galeru Nagari Sujala Sravanthi project in six months, Mr. Naidu told a public meeting near the Gandikota reservoir in Jammalamadugu constituency. He earlier made an aerial survey of Gorakallu and Owk reservoirs in Kurnool district and Gandikota reservoir in Kadapa district. As many as 3,000 tmc of Godavari water was going to the sea when the average of the last 20 years was considered and his government planned to divert about 70 tmc of water to Krishna delta and thereby save an equal quantity of water in Srisailam reservoir and send it to GNSS in the parched Rayalaseema region, the Chief Minister said. While Rayalaseema was in the grip of severe drought with 36 per cent of rainfall deficiency, East and West Godavari districts were not hit by 50 per cent rainfall deficiency owing to Godavari river, he added.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu assured release of water to Chitravathi Balancing Reservoir and Gandikota reservoir. Irrigation Minister D. Umamaheswara Rao, Rajya Sabha member C.M. Ramesh Naidu, Government Whip M. Mallikarjuna Reddy, former Minister P. Ramasubba Reddy, former MLAs M. Linga Reddy and N. Varadarajulu Reddy, and Collector K.V. Ramana, party leaders and officials participated.

Meanwhile, at a function organised to present ‘Pratibha awards’ to meritorious students at Tirupati, the Chief Minister unveiled the concept of smart schools by bringing Internet to the campus. “World class educational content will be brought to the reach of the students”, he explained. He assured to fill up vacant teaching positions in schools to improve educational standards.

Ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao , Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy and Palle Raghunatha Reddy, AP Skill Development Council Chairman G. Mallikarjuna Rao and MLA M. Suguna took part.