The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Decks cleared for Vamsadhara 2nd phase

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Decks cleared for Vamsadhara 2nd phase

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JAN. 6. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has announced that the stage is set for the commencement of Vamsadhara Project - Phase II.

The second phase is to create an irrigation potential of 1.07 lakh acres (including ayacut under Flood Flow Canal) requiring 19.4 TMC of water.

The Chief Minister told mediapersons here on Thursday that work on the right main canal was under progress and would be completed by June next.

The Rs. 850-crore second phase had run into trouble with the Orissa Government refusing to accord permission since 106 acres of land would be submerged. To avoid an inter-State dispute, the project proposal has now been modified.

Accordingly, the river water would be diverted from Katragadda village to Hiramandalam reservoir instead of constructing the Naredi Barrage which had become the bone of contention between the two States.

The height of the reservoir would be raised for ensuring irrigation for the second stage ayacut. This would mean diversion of some 6, 400 cusecs of water during the flood period through a 34-km-long canal to be dropped into the Hiramandalam reservoir.

Dream being realised

Dr. Reddy said the long cherished dream of people of Srikakulam would be realised and a population of 50,000 would be getting drinking water too. The project would be completed by March, 2007. The Central Water Commission and the Planning Commission had given clearances for the project and hence no problem was anticipated as in the case of other projects, he said. The Chief Minister said funds would not be a constraint as the budgetary provision would be increased. Last year, Rs.1540 crores was spent on irrigation.

Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy said that the Government was committed to developing 65-lakh acre ayacut within the next five years and if no further hurdles were created by anyone, the target would be met. He was hopeful that the Government's efforts to complete the pending irrigation projects with an expenditure of Rs. 44,000 crores would come through by a sincere and committed approach.

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