VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandrasekhar said the coalition government is prioritising irrigation projects to ensure both farm water security and safe drinking water for villages. He noted that the Patiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme, launched in 2014 by CM N Chandrababu Naidu, had secured irrigation for Krishna delta farmers for a decade, generating thousands of crores in additional farm income.
He added that under the supervision of Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu, Polavaram works are progressing rapidly and will further strengthen the state’s agriculture sector once completed.
Pemmasani announced that the long-pending Guntur Channel expansion and modernisation works have been revived. Land acquisition is underway with compensation being paid to farmers, while tenders worth Rs 370 crore have been floated for modernising first 47 km.
Once completed, irrigation will expand from the current 27,000 acres to 75,000 acres, benefiting farmers and simultaneously resolving drinking water issues in several villages.