VIJAYAWADA: Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu paid rich tributes to KL Rao, calling him a visionary engineer who championed river interlinking for India’s development over 50 years ago.
Speaking at KL Rao’s 124th birth anniversary celebrations in Vijayawada on Tuesday, Nimmala lauded KL Rao’s pivotal contributions to iconic irrigation projects like Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar and Hirakud, describing them as invaluable to India’s irrigation landscape. He highlighted Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s efforts to advance KL Rao’s vision, particularly through the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme, which interlinked the Godavari and Krishna rivers at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore during the previous TDP regime (2014-19) generating Rs 50,000 crore wealth.
He affirmed the coalition government’s commitment to completing Polavaram by December 2027, ensuring water supply to North Andhra and Rayalaseema. The plan includes harnessing 200 TMC of 3,000 TMC of Godavari water that flows into the sea per annum, aiming to irrigate every acre in the State.
Nimmala emphasised that irrigation is a service to farmers, calling it a matter of pride for the sector. He detailed the TDP’s past investments in water resources, projects, and lift irrigation schemes across Rayalaseema, Coastal Andhra, and North Andhra, contrasting them with the ‘destructive’ policies of the YSRCP regime.