Jagan concludes ''padayatra'' for Polavaram project

Hyderabad, Feb 10 (PTI) Former Congress MP Y S JaganMohan Reddy today concluded his four-day �padayatra� forconstruction of multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project atPolavaram town in West Godavari district.

Addressing a public meeting, Jagan alleged that the statewould become a ''desert'' if the project is not taken up.

The Polavaram project would benefit not only the coastaldistricts but also Telangana and Rayalaseema, he said addingif it was constructed earlier, it would have cost much less.

It was only the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who madesincere efforts to get national status for the project, hesaid.

Jagan loyalists Congress MPs M Rajamohan Reddy (Nellore)and Sabbam Hari (Anakapalle)attended the meeting.

Jagan had begun his �padayatra� at Ravulapalem in EastGodavari district four days ago.

The Polavaram project was conceived as a multipurposescheme providing irrigation to 4.36 lakh hectares, watersupply to towns and villages en route, and generating hydelpower with an installed capacity of 960 MW. The projectenvisaged construction of an earth-cum-rockfill dam.