River Linking: CM Naidu eyes Godavari, Krishna, Penna rivers

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said new irrigation projects would be undertaken in Andhra Pradesh with the aim of providing water to every acre of land.

By connecting the rivers, every acre can be made fertile with the water that was so far flowing into the sea and turning waste, he said.

The Chief Minister said the Godavari-Krishna river interlinking was done through Pattiseema during the previous Telugu Desam government’s term. “The irrigation needs of lakhs of acres were met. The water currently being wasted into the sea can be utilized through river linking projects,” he said while addressing a review meeting on the state’s water resources.

Naidu said he would continue his efforts at river linking, with emphasis on the Godavari, Krishna and Penna rivers.

The state government, he said, had previously prepared proposals to transfer Godavari water to Rayalaseema. “I propose to take this plan forward. As part of this initiative, irrigation officials presented a set of proposals for the Godavari-Krishna-Penna river linking. This involves moving the water from the Godavari river at Polavaram to the Krishna river and then directing it to various reservoirs, including the Bollapalli and Banakacherla.”

Another plan discussed at the review meeting was on diverting water from Polavaram to the Krishna river, and then to the Bollapalli reservoir. Additional plans are to connect this flow to the Somasila project.

The meeting also deliberated on whether to expand the existing Polavaram right canal to increase its capacity, so as to carry more water or to dig a parallel canal. Preliminary assessments were made regarding the cost and expected outcomes of each proposal.

The Chief Minister suggested that increasing the capacity of the Polavaram canal should be a first priority to ensure quicker results.

Despite the financial challenges involved, Naidu reiterated that the project was essential for the state’s agriculture and the well-being of its farmers. These irrigation initiatives would be crucial in addressing water scarcity issues and improving agricultural productivity, he said.

The Chief Minister was briefed on the status of the Polavaram project’s rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) works. Officials informed him that the construction of 18,925 houses for rehabilitation was pending. The contractors had halted the work in 2022, citing non-payment of bills of `155 crore.

Naidu stressed that land acquisition and rehabilitation works should be expedited alongside the construction of the Polavaram project. He sanctioned an immediate fund of `2,600 crore for these efforts.

The meeting reviewed the construction of the Polavaram diaphragm wall and the ECRF dam. Officials explained matters to the CM. Naidu stated, “Once a clear schedule for the remaining works at Polavaram is finalised, I would visit the project site and announce the timeline for the project’s completion.”

He noted that the state government was in the final stages of preparing a new water policy. The review meeting was attended by water resources minister Nimmala Ramanaidu and officials of the irrigation department.