Amaravati, Nov 9 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually laid the foundation stone for Somasila high level canal phase 2 and stated that irrigation is a priority sector for the government.
The Somasila project will provide drinking water and also irrigate 46,453 acres of land in Udayagiri and Atmakuru uplands and also some villages in Prakasam and Nellore districts.
Estimated to cost Rs 459 crore, the project will entail balancing reservoirs, cross masonry work, gravity canals and pump stations.
According to the chief minister, the previous government proposed to spend Rs 527.5 crore on this project but the current government brought it down to Rs 459 crore.
“After forming the government, by going through reverse tendering about Rs 68 crore has been saved and we brought down the cost to Rs 459 crores and the project works are being done on a war footing. We have curbed the corruption and are moving ahead in providing transparent and corruption-free governance,” said Reddy.
He said the state government is focusing on balancing development in the three regions of the state and has taken up projects in all the three regions.
Aimed at addressing the drought situation in Rayalaseema, the state government started Rayalaseema Drought Mitigation Project at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore.
It has also started the north Andhra Sujala Sravanti project at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore, where tenders for the first phase will be called for works amounting to Rs 3,500 crore.
Likewise, projects are also being taken up for YSR Palanadu Karuvu Nivarana project, along with Chintalapudi lift irrigation and two other projects on lower Krishna and one on upper Krishna river basin.
The state government aims to complete Polavaram Project by 2022 kharif time.
Somasila – Kandaleru doubling works and Somasila – Rallapdu doubling works will also be initiated with Rs 918 crore and Rs 632 crore.
Treating water and farmers as valuable, the state government is moving ahead with a series of irrigation projects to safeguard farmers and save water.
Reddy said the government has prioritized the development of backward regions Rayalaseema and north Andhra districts.
He said six irrigation projects, Vamsadhara phase 2, Vamsadhara-Nagavali interlinking, Veligonda reservoir, Owk tunnel, Sangam barrage, and Nellore barrage works would be completed in 2021.
Similarly, Sangam and Nellore barrage works are also expected to be completed by January 2021. Eom/412 words
–IANS
sth/ash