Andhra Pradesh   

Understanding likely on irrigation project in A.P.

M. Malleswara Rao

State offers to make all information acceptable to Tamil Nadu

HYDERABAD: Palar, the irrigation project that Andhra Pradesh proposes to build at Ganeshpuram in Chittoor district, is not likely to be a Babli for Tamil Nadu.

In contrast to Maharashtra's stand not to allow even Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah to visit the Babli site, the State has offered to make all information on Palair transparent and acceptable to Tamil Nadu and, if necessary, hold joint meetings to resolve contentious issues.

A detailed project report (DPR) for Palair prepared by the Central Designs Organisation of Andhra Pradesh is being sent shortly to the Tamil Nadu Government for its approval. Going by the cordiality shown earlier by Tamil Nadu in resolving many irritants pertaining to the inter-State project of Telugu Ganga, the State Government hopes to reach an understanding on Palair soon.

According to highly-placed sources, the revised DPR provides for construction of a small dam at a cost of Rs. 55 crore to store 0.6 tmcft of water (thousand million cubic ft) to irrigate 4,000 acres and supply drinking water to about 10-15 villages in the drought-prone Kuppam area. The State has already clarified that the storage would not be 2 tmcft as apprehended by Tamil Nadu.

It was proposed to start work on the project as soon as the DPR is accepted by Tamil Nadu. Funds for Palair were not a problem as a sum of Rs. 900 crore had been provided for minor irrigation in this year's budget, they said. The project has been taken up across Palair river on the basis of a 1931 agreement signed between the then Mysore and composite Madras (of which A.P. was a part) states.

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