The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Work on ‘Yeleru’ yet to take off

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Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Work on ‘Yeleru’ yet to take off

Staff Reporter

Delay due to various reasons

Yeleru reservoir caters to 64,000 acres
Chief Minister promises to release funds

Kakinada: The administrative sanction given for Rs 138 crore for modernisation of Yeleru reservoir and canals in July 2008 was already delayed and the issue is not yet over as the funds are still to be released, more than a decade after the proposal was originally mooted following recurring floods.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had visited the Yeleru ayacut in 2004 and promised to give priority to its modernisation but the project has not progressed at all both physically and in monetary terms. Vast stretches of agricultural lands in seven mandals are repeatedly inundated by floods, which is the reason why the farmers have asked the project to be modernised at the earliest. Tenders should have been called in January 2009 and works are to be commenced in April but the process is bound to be further delayed due to various reasons including the limitations government is facing in funding various irrigation projects in the run-up to Assembly elections. Yeleru reservoir caters to 64,000 acres in Pratthipadu, Kirlampudi, Gollaprolu, Tuni, Peddapuram, Sankhavaram and Yeleswaram mandals. A part of the area under this irrigation system was transferred to Pithapuram branch canal (PBC) system a few years ago. The Yeleru and PBC also meet the drinking water requirements of hundreds of villages in East Godavari district.

Clearance

The Yeleru reservoir and canals modernisation was initially estimated to cost of Rs 40 crore and it reached the present figure of Rs 138 crore. Kakinada MP M.M. Pallam Raju recently told reporters that administrative clearance was given for modernising and strengthening the irrigation canals and drains of Yeleru syetem at a cost of Rs 116 crore and Yeleru head water works – Rs 8 crore, the balance of Rs 14 crore was earmarked for other components.

The Chief Minister has during his latest visit promised to release funds soon to facilitate modernisation works to commence in this summer during the closure of canals, upon a request by Mr. Pallam Raju. It has to be seen whether the Government would be able to release funds at least in the next couple of months and get the works actually grounded before monsoon.

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