Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Ponnala visits Prakasam barrage

Special Correspondent

Minister takes stock of the situation following rise in floodwaters

A REVIEW: Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah (second from left) inspecting Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada on Saturday.

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Major Irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah said here on Saturday that the Government was yet to take a decision on stoppage of traffic on Prakasam barrage. He, however, said the existing regulation would continue.

Mr. Lakshmaiah visited the barrage in the morning and reviewed the situation with officials of the Irrigation Department following the rise in floodwaters and releases from Nagarjunasagar reservoir.

Irrigation projects

Talking to presspersons, the Minister said on seeing a huge quantity of water going waste into the sea, the Government decided to accelerate the works on irrigation projects.

Once the projects were in place, a large quantity of water could be saved and used for irrigation. He said that the Government had to let the water go waste into the sea, as the erstwhile TDP regime did not care for building projects. He said that all reservoirs in the State were filled to their brim, except Nizamsagar and Singur. There should be no problem for crops next year, he said.

He urged farmers in the upper reaches to cooperate with irrigation authorities in providing irrigation water to farmlands in tail-end areas.

Dig at Naidu

Deriding the remarks of TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, who termed the ration cards being distributed as `election cards', Mr. Lakhsmaiah said that TDP could never think of issuing ration cards in a foolproof manner.

"Has Mr. Naidu ever thought of giving ration cards to the needy?" he asked.

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