Andhra Pradesh - Others   

Ground reality is different

Staff Reporter

A helicopter, carrying US President George W. Bush, lands at the Hyderabad Airport after he completed a tour of the city. - Photo: Satish H.

HYDERABAD. When US President George W. Bush saw Hussainsagar from the air on Friday, he wondered if it was the drinking water source for Hyderabad and asked Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy if it was so.

Dr. Reddy hastened to clarify that once upon a time it was indeed the sole provider of drinking water but with the passage of time, a burgeoning population and its effluents had turned the water unfit for human consumption. Mr. Bush then heard a three-minute verbal presentation as to how Government was tackling water requirements of the State capital.

On irrigation

Talk of water led to Dr. Reddy revealing that in a State where 90 per cent of farmers were either small or marginal, it was up to the Government to provide irrigation facilities. When told of the State's `Jalayagnam' at an estimated US $ 10 billion and how Andhra Pradesh was putting together estimates to spend US $ 10 billion more, Mr. Bush said water being precious, every drop had to be conserved.

The passion for and knowledge of agriculture that the two gentlemen shared led to fruitful interaction between Mr. Bush, Dr. Reddy and progressive farmers at the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University. The US President said organic farming was the future and nodded his head at the System of Rice Intensification technique that meant more yields and less consumption of water.

So faithful was Dr. Reddy in reporting back to media about his time with the US President that he had scribbled notes on a piece of paper, much like scribes. He recalled being asked about his family and his reply that he had a daughter, a son and four grandchildren. Mr. Bush, in turn, revealed to the Chief Minister that he was trying to get his two daughters married.

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