Naidu For Interlinking Rivers Despite Financial Constraints

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government's sole objective is to see to it that every acre gets irrigation water and thus a firm decision has been taken to go ahead on interlinking of rivers in the State despite the financial constraints, declared Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu here.

During a review on water resources held at his chambers on the precincts of the State Assembly on Wednesday, the Chief Minister made it clear that the construction of irrigation projects should be taken up in the State. By interlinking of rivers and with the water that is flowing into the sea every acre can be supplied irrigation water, he felt.

Mentioning that through Pattiseema interlinking of the Godaravi and the Krishna rivers was completed during the previous TDP regime and irrigation water was supplied to lakhs of acres, Naidu said that this process will be taken forward. Thus as part of this exercise now focus is on interlinking of the Godavari, the Krishna and the Pennar rivers, he said.

Stating that a plan has been formulated during the previous TDP regime that the Godavari water will be supplied to Rayalaseema, the Chief Minister stressed the need to take this proposal forward. Already the officers of the Irrigation department have prepared the proposals on interlinking of the three rivers and placed these plans before the Chief Minister during the meeting.

The officers also explained to the Chief Minister on the Relief and rehabilitation (R&R) works of Polavaram during which they said that 18,925 houses are yet to be constructed as part of rehabilitation of the displaced.