HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has announced a plan to modernise the entire Godavari delta as a permanent measure to avoid flooding of habitations by the Godavari as seen now.

As part of the plan, the canals originating from Dowlaiswaram anicut and the drains that take the used waters into the sea will be repaired. Further, the height of the Godavari embankments will be raised, as there is increase in the riverbed level due to heavy siltation.

On his return to the city from a visit to the flood-affected areas on Sunday night, Dr. Reddy told reporters that the Irrigation Department had been asked to prepare a detailed plan within an year for going ahead with the modernisation. The Chief Minister said new colonies would be constructed for 83 girijan families of Varnabadi forest village in Vizianagaram district where a huge landslip crushed 12 persons to death and for 77 families of Kodipunju Valasa near Araku Valley where 12 others were killed in a similar incident. He said seed subsidy would be allowed at 33 per cent to all farmers in the flood-affected areas for crop damage and it would be at 50 per cent in case of girijans.

He said Visakhapatnam airport would also be modernised with protective works at a cost of Rs. 80-100 crores. The works taken up following last year's floods were completed to the tune of 60 per cent but these proved insufficient. Water and Power Consultancy Services, a Central undertaking, had been asked to submit a report within a short time identifying the problems and suggest works to overcome them, as a permanent solution.

`Advance report'

He said the State Government would submit `an advance report' to the Centre on Monday about the flood damages, seeking immediate release of the second instalment of the State Calamities Relief Fund, amounting to Rs. 180 crores.

Later, it would seek assistance under the Rs. 2,000-crore National Infrastructure Project and National Calamities Contingency Fund.

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