VIJAYAWADA : Minister for Municipal Administration Koneru Ranga Rao has asked Krishna district administration to complete the filling of tanks before April 25 keeping the summer needs in view.

Addressing a review meeting with officials and elected representatives here on Tuesday, Mr. Rao said that repairs to irrigation canals should be completed before water was released into them for next kharif. Though it was proposed to stop water supply into the canals by April 15, the Government decided to extend the deadline till April 25 following a representation from legislators.

District Collector Navin Mittal said that if the repairs to the canals could not be carried out, it would become very difficult to supply water to tail-end areas in the kharif.

Brisk pace

Minister for Higher Education Pinnamaneni Venkateswara Rao said that if the repairs were not completed at a brisk pace, rainy season would hamper the works. He asked the officials to prepare a plan well in advance to supply water through tankers to villages wherever the tanks could not be filled.

Superintending engineer of irrigation J. Rajendra Prasad said that the irrigation advisory board resolved to complete 518 works at a cost of Rs 7.59 crores before June. As the Collector sanctioned all the proposed works, they would be taken up as soon as the canals were closed on April 25. He said that the fortification of Prakasam Barrage apron was completed at a cost of Rs 10.43 crores. Mr. Prasad said that 82 works under project committees (costing Rs 4.62 crores); 82 works under distributary committees (costing Rs 1.80 crores) and 661 works under water users associations (at a cost of Rs 5.12 crores) would also be taken up. He explained that Rs 10.32 crores was spent to acquire land for the left and right canals of Tarakarama lift irrigation scheme. Water was supplied to 1,130 acres under the right canal through pumping and 5,000 acres under the left canal through gravity. Tenders would be finalised for the Rs 35-crore Polampalli medium irrigation scheme on Munneru.

Mr. Mittal told the SE that repair works costing less than Rs 1 lakh could be given on nomination basis. While works costing less than Rs 5 lakhs could be given on nomination basis with rice component under the rural water supply department. However, this would not apply to municipal and urban areas.

List of tanks

Nandigama MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao wanted the officials to prepare the list of tanks to be filled with water and urged the administration to allow the expenditure under operations and maintenance on works pertaining to any area in the district. The Collector said that Rs 14 crores out of the Rs 73 crores was collected under water tax so far.

Reviewing the drinking water needs, the Collector asked officials to take necessary steps to ensure protected drinking water to all areas in the district. Electricity and other issues should be addressed on a war footing, he said.

Vijayawada MP L. Rajagopal; Machilipatnam MP Badiga Ramakrishna; MLAs B. Vedavyas; Chanumolu Venkata Rao; M.V.Pratap Appa Rao; Perni Venkataramaiah; Paturi Ramaiah; Yerneni Raja Ramachandar and Mandali Buddha Prasad also participated in the meeting.

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