Rajahmundry: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the construction of the diaphragm wall of the Polavaram irrigation project in West Godavari district on Wednesday.
On the occasion, the Chief Minsiter addressed the farmers of the area and said that the Polavaram project was one of the biggest projects in the world and that it would serve the future generations in a big way.
He expressed appreciation for the farmers who had parted with their lands for construction of this project and ruled out the possibility that they would be subjected to any injustice in terms of relief and rehabilitation.
Mr Naidu said that the state government was ready to pay a higher relief amount to the affected farmers, keeping in mind the support that they had extended to the project.
Throwing light on the importance of the upcoming diaphragm wall, the CM said that it was the heart of the entire project, and that it was being constructed using German technology. He asked the farmers to visit the site after a month, to witness the progress made.
He also criticised the Opposition parties, saying that they were trying to create hurdles in the execution of the project by provoking farmers to seek higher compensation.
He added that the government was committed to ensuring the completion of the project, despite these hurdles, as it would benefit a large number of people, farmers in particular. He suggested that the Opposition parties support the government in ensuring that the project proceeded smoothly, instead of disrupting the work.
The CM said that the Polavaram project had already allowed the farmers in both the Godavari districts to cultivate two crops a year, and assured them that they would soon be able to grow a third crop as well.
He then asked the farmers how many bags of paddy they were able to reap, to which they responded that the harvest was 40-45 bags per acre. When a section of the farmers complained that seven villages of Pedavegi mandal in West Godavari were not receiving water for cultivation, the CM assured them that efforts were underway to ensure that water was supplied to those villages.
Mr Naidu also spoke about the importance of replenishing ground water supply by constructing check dams on small streams, rivulets and farm ponds, in order to ensure that adequate water would be available for future generations. He also promoted the aqua-culture being carried out in West Godavari, and said that its products were being exported to the Philippines.
