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Polavaram project: Sonia Gandhi assures national status

Special Correspondent

Rosaiah holds meeting with Chief Secretary and other senior officials

Sonia compliments Rosaiah for his initiative in securing clearances for the projects
Expresses joy that the Environment Ministry had granted clearances to the project

HYDERABAD: In a development that should culminate in fruition of the State government's effort, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has assured that national status will be accorded to the Polavaram project taken up by the State government across the Godavari as part of Jalayagnam programme.

She gave this assurance in a communication addressed to Chief Minister K. Rosaiah on Friday in response to his repeated requests seeking the status of a national project for Polavaram. Referring to his plea, Ms. Gandhi said she had asked her office to follow up the matter and complimented Mr. Rosaiah for his initiative in securing clearances for various projects, particularly Polavaram.

The Congress president expressed happiness that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had already granted the necessary clearances to the project.

After receiving Ms. Gandhi's letter, Mr. Rosaiah held a meeting with Chief Secretary S.V. Prasad and other senior officials to discuss various aspects of the multi-purpose project.

Mr. Rosaiah said the Central Water Commission had approved various aspects of the project, including its design, while the High Power Steering Committee of the Centre had recommended national status for it. If national status was finally given, the Centre would meet 90 per cent of its cost as against 25 per cent now under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), he added.

In his letters earlier to the UPA chairperson, the Chief Minister said Polavaram would be a boon to all the regions and ensure balanced development of the State. While power generated by its 960-MW hydel station would be supplied to all the regions, the project would help irrigate 7.2 lakh acres of land in Coastal Andhra, meet the needs of Visakhapatnam to the tune of 24 tmcft and serve a population of 28 lakh in 540 villages. Besides, it would stabilise Krishna delta (13 lakh acres) and Godavari delta (10.13 lakh acres).

Lift schemes

In Telangana, two massive lift schemes were being implemented to benefit 1.33 lakh acres in Khammam district, based on the Polavaram reservoir. Moreover, the diversion of 80 tmcft of water from Polavaram to the Krishna delta, would facilitate diversion of water thus saved to the Rayalaseema region.

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