Aiming to transform Andhra Pradesh into a ‘drought proof state with water security’, the State Government is planning intra-linkage of rivers apart from completing all pending projects in a time bound manner, State’s Water Resources Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao said.
“Interlinking of rivers is very appropriate and is need of the time. Because, some parts in the country are facing deficit or drought conditions whereas other parts are either surplus or facing flood conditions”, the Minister said in the 31st Annual General Body Meeting of the National Water Development Agency in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari chaired the meeting attended by Union Ministers of States Arjunram Meghwal and Satyapal Singh and Water Resource Ministers of all the States.
While presenting the case of Andhra Pradesh, Devineni said, “Andhra Pradesh is also facing the same situation. In Godavari river, hundreds of TMC of water is going into sea during flood times. But in the other parts of the State, especially in Rayalaseema districts, people are facing severe water crisis”.
Elaborating the woes of the farmers of water deficient areas of Andhra Pradesh, he added, “Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has linked Godavari and Krishna rivers in 2015 itself through Pattiseema lift Irrigation Scheme in a record time of less than one year”.
Expalining the benefits of river-linking, he said, “Just because of diversion of Godavari surplus waters to Krishna Delta during the last two kharif seasons, the State Government was able to save crops worth of Rs 8,000 crore”.
“Naidu is also planning to link other rivers in the State,” he added. Devineni explained the steps taken by the State Government in measuring groundwater. “Our State is the first one in the Country in monitoring the groundwater in real time.