DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy releasing a pigeon to mark the inauguration of Pedderu reservoir in V. Madugula mandal of Visakhapatnam district on Sunday.

V. MADUGULA (VISAKHAPATNAM DT.): Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Sunday released water from the Pedderu medium irrigation project for irrigating 13,334 acres near Ravipalem near here, about 85 km from Visakhapatnam.

Amid unprecedented security due to Maoists' threat, only a few villagers were allowed to go close to the helipad and the project site. A few hundred people who turned up, welcomed him with `YSR zindabad' slogans when he landed at a makeshift helipad by Deccan Airways helicopter at 3.30 p.m.

Work on the the Pedderu reservoir project launched in 1994 when Congress was in power was expedited under Jalayagnam. The project was launched to use water from Pedderu, a tributary of the river Sarada, with assistance from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Revised cost

Of the revised project cost of Rs. 38 crores, Rs. 35 crores has been spent. Another Rs. 5 crore will be spent to provide irrigation to 6,600 acres in Butchayyapeta mandal for next kharif. Dr. Reddy released water for irrigating 13,334 acres in the backward V. Madugula and Ravikamatam mandals in the district.

As part of the project, works were completed to strengthen the Rachakattu, Chinnapachala, Gottivadu and KV channels. The catchment area of the reservoir site is extended over 160 square kilometres. River sluice is built in spillway regulator to feed the ayacut under Gottivada channel.

Hitting out at the Telugu Desam for neglecting the project when it was in power for nearly 10 years, the Chief Minister said they (TD) did nothing to complete the `much needed project.' The people in this area waited with lot of expectations for early completion of the project so as to increase yield from sugarcane, groundnut, paddy and other crops.

Stating that the negligence of the project had led to cost escalation, he said they had taken the initiative to complete the project under Jalayagnam. "Had the TD continued in power, it would not have been completed even in 15 years," he remarked with a note of sarcasm. There was thunderous applause when the Chief Minister released pigeons in the air to mark the inauguration of the project.

Earlier, Minister for Major Irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah said despite the criticism by the CPI (M) and the TD, Jalayagnam would be completed as per schedule to irrigate 65 lakh acres in five years. "We are making efforts to stick to the timetable prepared by us," he remarked.

The Minister said the Government had already started the process to releasing water for irrigation.

"Today we released water from the Pedderu and Pedagadda reservoirs and we will supply water from the Surampalem project tomorrow and inaugurate the AMRP project to irrigate 50,000 acres in drought-prone Nalagonda."

Minister for Commercial Taxes Konathala Ramakrishna and Madugula MLA Karnam Dharmasri were present.

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