VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will set the ball rolling for the State government’s ambitious plan to inter-link Godavari and Penna rivers by laying the project’s foundation on November 21, according to Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao. The necessary geotechnical studies are underway to launch the works immediately, officials said.
Addressing media persons on Tuesday, the minister said, “The Chief Minister will lay the foundation for the Phase-1 of the Godavari-Penna interlinking near the Nagarjuna Sagar Project Right Canal. It will be dedicated to the nation next year.”
He said that tenders for Vykuntapuram Barrage will be finalised shortly and the project would be ready by 2019. “Similarly, we will provide water from Veligonda Tunnel by January/February,” he added.
It may be recalled that Phase-1 of the project, estimated to cost around Rs 6,200 crore, envisages to lift around 7,000 cusecs of water using five lift irrigation schemes.
Meanwhile, Umamaheswara Rao slammed Opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for criticising Pattiseema project; the State diverted over 250 tmc of excess Godavari water to Krishna delta through the project. “This year alone, we brought 87 tmc of water from Pattiseema, which Jagan claimed was a wasteful expenditure. What is his response now, after we saved so many crops? He should apologise to the public,” he said.
Coming down heavily on the Opposition party for making baseless allegations on the quality of Polavaram project’s execution, the minister said, “They don’t know what a diaphragm wall or jet grouting means, but make baseless accusations. The works are progressing at a brisk pace without compromising on quality,” he said.
The minister said the district administration of south coastal districts, where there would be an impact of cyclone Gaja, should take preventive measures to save the standing crops.