VIJAYAWADA: Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu on Thursday revealed that no programme to collect land conversion details was taken up in the past three decades.
Replying to a query from Kavali MLA Dagumati Venkata Krishna Reddy in the Assembly, he announced that a land conversion data collection initiative will be launched at the Collectors’ Conference on March 25, and completed within two months. Explaining the impact of urbanisation, SEZs, and industrialisation, Ramanaidu mentioned that vast tracts of agricultural land has been repurposed over the years.
The Irrigation Minister informed that of the State’s 40 million acres, only 20 million are cultivable, with 10.6 million currently being irrigated. After the NDA government came to power, efforts to optimise water resources have paved the way to irrigate an additional 4.3598 million acres, with proposals to supply water to 4.8612 million acres in the future.
Ramanaidu assured Chilakaluripet MLA Prathipati Pulla Rao that suggestions for the Polavaram - Banakacherla DPR will be reviewed. He also promised to desilt Nagarjuna Sagar Ayacut canals as part of Operation and Maintenance works, blaming the previous YSRCP government for neglecting the irrigation sector.