AP: Gandikota Lift Irrigation Scheme by '08

Kadapa, June 11: The Andhra Pradesh Government would be completing the Gandikota Lift Irrigation Scheme by December, ahead of commissioning the first phase of integrated steel plant at Ambapuram in 2009.

Under the project designed to uitilise surplus waters of river Krishna, two TMC water would be provided to the steel plant which would produce over 20 million tonnes of steel at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore in four phases till 2017, Irrigation Department officials said.

Talking to reporters after laying the foundation stone for the project and performing 'bhoomi pooja', Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy made it clear that not a single drop of additional water would be used other than what had been approved for the project by all parties.

As many as 1.55 lakh acres in the Chief Minister's native Kadapa district, 1.03 lakh acres in Chittoor district and 0.15 lakh acres in Nellore district would be brought under irrigation, the officials added.

The project was also designed to provide three tmc water to meet the drinking water needs in Tirupati, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, they said.

UNI