'Lift water from Godavari till Polavaram is completed'.

Appreciating Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for taking up the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme for catering to the needs of farmers of Rayalaseema, former deputy Mayor of Visakhapatnam K Dorababu requested the Government to consider a similar lift irrigation project to cater to the needs of uplands of East Godavari and North Andhra districts.

Addressing media recently, he said the Government was taking up the Pattiseema project on the Polavaram Right Canal in view of the fact that the Polavaram project would not be completed within five years.

Upland areas of East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts were also suffering from shortage of water, both for irrigation and drinking purposes. Like Rayalaseema, there were no perennial water sources in these areas. Visakhapatnam city had been facing water shortage during summer . Also, the city had no huge water reservoirs to meet drought situation.

The Government was embarking upon large-scale industrialization of North Andhra districts and the city was set to become a Smart City with the support of US trade and industry. With so much thrust on development of these districts the water requirement of the region along with the uplands of East Godavari district was set to grow exponentially, Mr Dorababu said.

The available sources would not meet the requirements and there was a need to expeditiously finish tapping water from the Polavaram Left Canal. It was imperative on the Government to foresee the requirements of water of these four districts and plan and implement Polavaram Left Canal without further loss of time, he said.

The Government should go for a lift pumping system till such time as Polavaram was completed and the regular canal system became operational, the former deputy mayor said.

By spending a mere one per cent of the budget outlay the Government would help increase commercial, agricultural and industrial outputs. Further, it would prevent migration of manpower and bring down unemployment, he said.


THE HINDU