The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Ponnala justifies Yellampalli project

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Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Ponnala justifies Yellampalli project

Special Correspondent

Rejects TDP leaders’ suggestion on Krishna phase-III

HYDERABAD: The government has defended its decision to take up a project to use water from the Godavari at Yellampalli to augment drinking water supply to Hyderabad. It is aimed at providing 31 tmcft of water to the city in three phases keeping Hyderabad’s population by 2031 in mind.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah rebutted the criticism by Telugu Desam leaders -- T. Devender Goud and K. Srihari -- against the government opting for a new project instead of going in for phase III of Krishna water supply project.

The main reason for preferring water from the Godavari, he explained, was water was no longer available in required quantity on assured basis in the Krishna. In fact, most of the irrigation projects being executed on the Krishna were based on surplus waters. In contrast, assured water was available in the Godavari.

Referring to their contention that the Godavari-based project would be costly in view of the distance to be covered by pipelines (240 km) as compared to Krishna III (110 km), the Minister said it was too early to reach conclusions, as the Water & Power Consultancy Services had not yet worked out details of the new project. “When the estimates are not even prepared, how can they say the project will cost Rs. 3,500 crore?” Mr. Lakshmaiah said the government had spent Rs. 850 crore for bringing 5 tmcft of Krishna water to the city.

The cost of bringing 31 tmcft of water from a longer distance would obviously be higher, he said.

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