The chief minister discussed the issue with irrigation department officials despite the fact that the state's finances are far from satisfactory for the big-ticket project involving investment of thousands of crores of rupees.
Published Nov 14, 2024 | 12:12 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 14, 2024 | 12:12 PM
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is keen on pushing one of his dream projects — the interlinking of the Godavari, Krishna and Penna rivers.
Naidu, as long back as in his second term as the chief minister of the undivided state of Andhra Pradesh between 1999 and 2004, tried to push the project to free parched lands of the state from the vice-like grip of drought.
Now, in his second stint as the chief minister in the reorganised state of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu is once again flogging the dead horse.
The chief minister on Wednesday, 13 November, discussed the issue with irrigation department officials despite the fact that the state’s finances are far from satisfactory for the big-ticket project involving investment of thousands of crores of rupees.
In his first term as the chief minister of the reorganised state of Andhra Pradesh between 2014 and 2019, he made a beginning, with the diversion of Godavari waters to Krishna with the help of the Pattiseema Project to insulate Krishan delta from water scarcity.
The Pattiseema project was inaugurated by Naidu in March 2016. The project was completed in just one year without any extension of time or escalation in the project cost of ₹1,660 crore.
The Pattiseema project has one of the largest pump houses in Asia with 24 pumping units spread across an area of 7,476 sqm.
The project has a capacity to discharge 8,500 cusecs of water. These pumps deliver water from the Godavari at Pattiseema into the Right Main Canal of the Polavaram Project.
Under the Bachawat tribunal and interstate river water agreement between Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, 100 Tmcft of water can be diverted from Godavari to Krishna.
In continuation of this initiative, the chief minister now wants to link Krishan with the Penna river. Though the TDP government, in its first term, had finalised the plans for the diversion of Krishna waters to Penna, they suffered a setback with YSRCP coming to power in 2019.
At the review meeting on Wednesday, the irrigation officials apprised the chief minister of the options before the government for the diversion of the Krishna waters to the Penna River.
The officials made a presentation to the chief minister on how water from Polavaram could be transferred to Krishna river to Banakacherla via Bollapali reservoir. Another option the officials presented related to the transfer of Krishna waters that reach Bollapally to Somasila Reservoir.
The Bollapally Reservoir is a balancing reservoir proposed in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh intended to divert Godavari waters to the Banakacherla head regulator. The reservoir has a capacity of 150 Tmcft and is estimated to cost around ₹60,000 crore.
The primary objectives of the Bollapally Reservoir are to stabilise the irrigation water supply, irrigate additional agricultural land, and cater to the drinking water needs of the Prakasam and Guntur districts.
It is part of the larger initiative to interlink the Krishna and Godavari rivers, aiming to make efficient use of water resources and improve agricultural productivity.
As the state government intended to divert a huge volume of water from Polavaram to the Penna River, the chief minister discussed whether it would be prudent to have a parallel canal to the Polavaram Right Canal or whether augmenting its capacity would suffice.
The chief minister asked the officials to discuss which of the two options would entail less investment and better results as he was keen on interlinking the three rivers.
He asked them to focus more on augmenting the capacity of the Right Canal of the Polavaram project.
“Even though it is a very financially daunting project, I am keen on doing it. I am keeping the needs of the farmers and the interests of the state in mind,” the chief minister said.
The officials, while apprising the chief minister of the status of the Polavaram project, informed him that they have to construct 18,925 more houses to rehabilitate the outsees.
Officials apprised him that since 2022, under the previous dispensation, the contractors had suspended the construction of houses for the rehabilitation of the oustees.
They told him that the state government is yet to clear contractors’ bills for ₹155 crore.
The chief minister was informed that the contractors were not coming forward to resume work at the old rates as prices for raw materials have increased on account of inflation.
The chief minister asked the officials to discuss the issue with the contractors and make decisions in accordance with the rules in force.
He wanted the officials to focus on the rehabilitation of the oustees equally as the Polavaram Project works are being fast-tracked.
The officials told him that land acquisition and rehabilitation of the oustees alone would need ₹2,600 crore; to which Naidu said he would issue instructions soon.
They also apprised Naidu of the opinions expressed at a workshop at the Polavaram Project site on the construction of the diaphragm wall and earth cum rockfill dam. The chief minister said he would visit Polavaram after clarity emerges on the schedule of works and make an announcement to this effect there itself.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
