Govt to release water to 35,000 acres: AP CM

Hyderabazd, Sept 9 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said that his government would release water to 35,000 acres through three irrigation projects in the State.

The Chief Minister would dedicate the Peddagadda (Vizianagaram), Pedderu(Visakhapatnam)and Surampalem(East Godavari) irrigation projects to the nation tomorrow. He would also dedicate the AMR Project in Nalgonda this month which would irrigate 50,000 acres in the district.

While addressing the irrigation officials, Dr Reddy said mere construction of reservoirs, spillways, canals and regulators was not enough. The ultimate object was to ensure that water flowed down to the fields in time for agricultural activity, he added.

He said while the flagship programme of UPA Government 'Bharat Nirman' envisaged creation of irrigation works to feed 2.5 crore acres all over the country, the State Government had facilitated the process of achieving one crore acre of irrigation by 2008-09.

Dr Reddy said between 1989 to 2003, the Telengana region was allocated a sum of Rs 4690 crore as against Rs 11,244 crore earmarked for the irrigation department. However, the State Government had spent so far Rs 10,000 crore for irrigation in the last two years and budgeted to spend an equal amount in the current year, he added.

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