AP to bring 2.20 lakh acres under new ayacut

Hyderabad, July 10 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Minor Irrigation Minister M Venkateswara Rao today said the government had targetted to bring 2.20 lakh acres of land under irrigation in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Rao said the Minor Irrigation Department had brought 2.25 lakh acres under irrigation and stabilised seven lakh acres by restoring the existing tanks since 2004.

Stating that the Centre had sanctioned 61 Minor Irrigation Projects at a cost of Rs 168 crore to create an ayacut of 57,000 acres during this year, he said funds amounting to Rs 2800 crore would be sanctioned, after entering into tie-up with JBIC, AIBP, NABARD and World Bank, to take up Minor Irrigation projects.

Over 60,000 tanks existed in the state, he said adding that a study was taken up to ascertain the condition of the tanks.

Reconstruction of the damaged tanks would be taken up based on the study report.

UNI