Linking of Vamsadhara, Nagavali Rivers in Pipeline.

Following the success of linking of the Godavari and Krishna rivers, the government has decided to link all the important rivers of the north coastal Andhra districts, said Irrigation minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao. As a part of it, the government would link Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, the minister added. The Vamsadhara and Nagavali waters would be supplied up to the Itchapuram border by constructing an aqueduct.

Already, a committee led by former chief engineer S Satyanarayana was constituted to prepare an integrated report and design the linking of the Vamsadhara and Nagavali. The committee would submit its report very soon, Umamaheswara Rao added. Later the Suvarnamukhi, Veghavathi and Champavathi would be linked with the Nagavali.

The minister held a regional review meeting of the Irrigation department in which all the engineering officials of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam were present.

The minister later told newsmen that the TDP government had been giving top priority to the irrigation projects. Though the State faced Rs. 16,500 crore deficit in the budget, the government allocated Rs 10,000 crore for irrigation projects which showed the government’s commitment to improving agriculture, Umamaheswara Rao said.

On the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation, the minister said that work on 24 pumpsets would be completed by March and the Godavari water would be released to Prakasam district and Rayalaseema region.

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS