Polavaram will be operational by 2018, says Uma.

Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao has asserted that work on Polavaram National project is being speeded to meet the target of bringing water by gravity by 2018.

He said recently that relief and rehabilitation work under Polavaram project was going on and people would be shifted once the houses were constructed. Bills worth Rs. 2,000 crore for the work done so far on Polavaram project were sent to Centre for reimbursement.

Mr.Uma Maheswara Rao said all other projects in Rayalaseema including Handri-Neeva, Galeru-Nagari, Gandikota, Velugonda and North Andhra such as Thotapalli were also being speeded up and efforts were on to link up Godavari, Krishna and Penna in the coming days. Under Thotapalli this year water was given for 75,000 acres in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram and the target was to extend it to 1.5 lakh acres by June next.

The Detailed Project Report for linking Vamsadhara-Nagavali was in progress to utilise water without letting it go waste into the sea.

Reiterating that Pattiseema was taken up till the time Polavaram project is ready for diverting Godavari water going waste into the sea, he said once Polavaram right canal work is completed, 80 tmc of water will be lifted under Pattiseema to stabilise the Krishna delta in the next four to five months.

The minister said a detailed book Neeru-Pragathi giving district-wise information about ground water, surface water, rainfall, linking of rivers, comprehensive use of river basins and sub-basins was brought out for the information of officials, water users associations and general public.

THE HINDU