CM: 28 irrigation projects will be completed in three months.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that 28 irrigation projects will be completed in the next three months under 'Jalasiri Harati' scheme to help keep drought away from the State.

The Purushothapatnam and Pattiseema lift irrigation projects will cater to the needs of 11 districts, except Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, under the ‘Smart Water Grid’ scheme.

Mr. Naidu on Tuesday switched on two motors to lift 750 tmc of water from the Godavari to the Yeleru project. However, no water could be released as the pressure main pipes were not ready.

Irrigation engineers told the Chief Minister that water would be released by Wednesday evening.

Two pumps, each with a capacity to lift 350 cusecs of water, were ready and would start lifting 700 cusecs from the Godavari from Wednesday after cleaning of the pressure main pumps.

After the formal inauguration of the Purushothapatnam project, Mr. Naidu told the media that the government would complete the Polavaram irrigation project with the same spirit.

Stating that his government was dedicating one irrigation project to the State on every Independence Day, Mr. Naidu said it would be the turn of Polavaram irrigation project next year.

He said the government granted ₹550 crore for taking up repairs to all irrigation projects.

Addressing a public meeting at Jaggampeta, an upland area in the district and one of the tail-end points of the Purushothapatnam project, the Chief Minister said his government had spent ₹44,000 crore on various projects.

After 40 long years of wait, the people of East Godavari would get irrigation facility to 2.15 lakh acres spread over Rajanagaram, Peddapuram, Prattipadu, Pithapuram, and Jaggampeta through the Purushothapatnam project.

THE HINDU