RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The people of hundreds of villages of Godavari region do not have access to safe drinking water though they live on the banks of the perennial river.
The State government has taken a significant step to address the region’s water woes by inviting tenders for the ambitious Godavari Water Grid Project. Works on two key projects at Vijjeswaram and Dowleswaram costing Rs 3,050 crore are set to begin in April as tenders have already been finalised.
Speaking to TNIE, East Godavari district Rural Water Supply (RWS) Executive Engineer Venkata Giri said four sites have been identified for the water grid project.
The Dowleswaram project with an outlay of Rs 1,650 crore will supply safe drinking water to 1,713 habitations in Rajamahendravaram Rural, Kadiyam, Biccavolu and Anaparthy mandals, and parts of Kakinada and Konaseema districts.
The Vijjeswaram project, costing Rs 1,400 crore, will serve Undrajavaram, Peravali, Chagallu, Kovvur and Tallapudi mandals, as well as areas in the erstwhile West Godavari district.
Two more projects at Polavaram right and left banks, estimated to cost Rs 450 crore and Rs 750 crore, are proposed to cover mandals like Gopalapuram, Devarapalli and Gokavaram, though they await approval from the Central and State governments.
854 WG villages to be covered in first phase
This initiative, jointly funded by the Centre and the State government, aims to end the decades-long struggle of nearly 18 lakh people across 924 villages in 20 mandals of the erstwhile West Godavari district.
Rural Water Supply Deputy Executive Engineer Harimohan told TNIE that the Rs 1,400 crore Vijjeswaram project will purify Godavari river water at the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, and supply it through pipelines.
The first phase will cover 854 villages, including Narasapuram and Tanuku Assembly segments, while the second phase will extend to 165 more villages. This sustainable water management initiative will quench the thirst of hundreds of villages of Godavari region.