The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : New Thotapalli channel will affect 4 mandals: TDP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 01, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

New Thotapalli channel will affect 4 mandals: TDP

Correspondent

The plan was designed to irrigate 1.20 lakh acres, says MLA

No provision for bringing more ayacut under the channel, says MLA
MLA demands implementation of GO MS Nos.155 and 44 after completion of work

VIZIANAGARAM: The administrative sanction issued with regard to extension of Thotapalli Right Main Canal for irrigating 15,000 acres in Gajapathinagaram and Dattirajeru mandals and also 12,500 acres in Bobbili (rural) would affect Gurla, Merakamudidam, Cheepurupalli and Garividi, the tail end mandals in the district, said former MLA and Government Whip Gadde Babu Rao.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Babu Rao said that as per the original plan the Thotapalli project was designed to irrigate an additional ayacut of 1.20 lakh acres in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts.

Giving details of the water availability in Nagavali, he said that as per the agreement entered into with the Orissa Government, 4 tmc ft of water for Jhanjhavati and 16 tmc ft for Thotapalli would be utilised. Of the 16 tmc ft of water, the full reservoir level of the project was reduced to105 feet against the design of 115 feet, following pressure from political parties in Parvathipuram division that increase in height of the barrage would submerge more villages, only 12 tmc ft could only be utilised for irrigation.

Storage capacity

Moreover, the storage capacity in summer was reduced from 4 tmc ft to 2tmc ft and allowed 2 tmc ft for drinking, evaporation losses, industries and unauthorised pumping along the course. As the project was approved to irrigate 1.84 lakh acres only, including the existing 64,000 acres, there was no provision for bringing more ayacut under it, he said.

Saying that he was not opposed to supplying water to Gajapathinagaram, Dattirajeru and Bobbili (rural), Mr. Babu Rao demanded that the GO MS Nos.155 and 44 could be implemented only after the FRL was raised to its original plan or work on the barrage was completed.

He said that in Cheepurupalli, width of the RMC was reduced to 15.1 metres from 18.5 metres and increased the depth from 2.45 metres to 2.75 metres with an intention to benefit the executing agencies. The work on RMC was to be completed by October 2007 and the time limit was now being extended further, the TDP leader said. The party district president Y. Ramana Murty and town committee president I.V.P. Raju were present.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh