NITI Aayog Vice-chief All Praise for Naidu on River Inter-linking.

NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya appears to have been quite impressed with the interlinking of Godavari-Krishna rivers project, an initiative of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

“Interlinking of the two rivers, first-of-its-kind in the country, is a welcome development. Whenever I visit other states hereafter, which I have to as the vice-chairman of NITI Aayog, I will tell them to emulate AP,” he said. Addressing mediamen after inspecting the river interlinking project at Jakkampudi village in Krishna district on Wednesday, Pranagariya described Naidu as a ‘dynamic’ chief minister and felt that the increase in productivity in fisheries sector was indicative of his leadership abilities. Later, he studied the implementation of the state government initiatives at ground-level, particularly in irrigation, agriculture, medcial and health sectors.

Water resources minister D Umamaheswara Rao explained to the NITI Aayog team as to how the Polavaram Right Main Canal would help prevent famine in Krishna delta. Similarly, the Pattiseema Project is expected to divert 80 tmcft water from Godavari, with the help of 24 motors when it is in spate, to river Krishna at Prakasam Barrage and thus save crops in Krishna delta.

In fact, the government completed construction of 177-km canal from Pattiseeam for diversion of Godavari water. The state government solved the problem of land acquisition in just 60 days for the construction of canal, which could not be done in 10 years, he pointed out.

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS