Govt sanctions irrigation projects under 'Jalayagnam'

Hyderabad, May 6 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah today said the Government had cleared the Chevella-Pranahita and Dummagudem-Sagar tail pond projects for implementation at a cost of Rs 28,477 crore.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had given approval for the projects as part of the 'Jalayagnam' programme in the state. Tenders for these projects would be called in a few days, he said, adding that the Chevella-Pranahita project would be taken up at a cost of Rs 18,000 crore to utilise 160 tmc of water to provide irrigated water to 12 lakh acres in Telangana region.

He also said the Dummagudem project would be taken up at a cost of Rs 10,4767 crore to divert 156 tmc of Godavari flood waters to Nagarjuna Sagar tail pond.

The State Government had taken up the 'Jalayagnam' with a commitment to provide irrigated water to one crore acres at a cost of Rs one lakh crore.

''Main aim of ''Jalayagnam was to prevent droughts by utilising the assured water available to the state and divert the water which was flowing into the sea to the backward areas to bring more land under cultivation,'' he added.

He said the government had provided adequate compensation to acquire 1.68 lakh acres of land out of 3.47 lakh acres of land proposed by the government.

He also mentioned that the state government had prepared an estimation to develop the 1,095 km water transport system from Andhra Pradesh to Chennai.

He said the government proposed to develop Kakinada-Rajahmundry (50 km), Rajahmundry-Vijayawada (139 km), Vijayawada-Pedda Ganjam(113 km), Pedda Ganjam-Chennai (443km), Bhadrachalam-Rajahmundry (171 km) and Vijayawada-Vajirabad (157 km) as the water transport system was cheaper compared to the road transport system.

UNI