VIJAYAWADA: The State government’s sole objective is to see that every acre gets irrigation water and thus a firm decision has been taken to go ahead with the interlinking of rivers in the State despite the financial constraints, said Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday after a review meeting on irrigation in his Chambers at the State Assembly.
He made it clear that the construction of irrigation projects should be taken up in the State on a priority basis. By interlinking rivers and with the water that is flowing into the sea every acre can be supplied irrigation water, he felt.
Mentioning that through Pattiseema interlinking of the Godaravi and the Krishna rivers was completed during the previous TDP regime and irrigation water was supplied to lakhs of acres, Naidu said this process will be taken forward. As part of this exercise, now the focus is on the interlinking of the Godavari, Krishna and Pennar rivers, he added.
Stating that a plan was formulated during the previous TDP regime that the Godavari water would be supplied to Rayalaseema, he stressed the need to take this proposal forward. Already the officials of the Irrigation Department have prepared proposals to interlink the three rivers and placed them before the Chief Minister during the meeting.
They informed him that 18,925 houses are yet to be constructed as part of the rehabilitation of the displaced families of Polavaram project. Mentioning that the previous government did not take up the works of rehabilitation colonies, they also informed him that bills amounting to Rs 155 cr are still pending clearance to the contractors.
At the request of officials, Naidu gave his consent to release Rs 2,600 crore for the R&R works. The meeting also discussed the proposed new water policy. Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Rama Naidu was also present.