TDP compares Jalayagnam as Dhanayagnam

Says irrigation needs of drought-prone areas are its priority

Hyderabad: Alleging the previous Congress governments had ruined the irrigation sector in the State and converted “Jalayagnam into Dhanayagnam”, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the government would fix new priorities based on their capacity to cater to irrigation needs of drought-prone areas.

Releasing the white paper on irrigation on Monday, Naidu said the government would give top priority to projects like Handri Neeva and Thotapally reservoir so that the irrigation needs of backward districts of Ananatapur and Vizianagaram could be addressed.

The AP Chief Minister said that the government would give high importance to irrigation sector and would construct projects similar to the Polavaram in order to utilise water that flows into the State from upper riparian States.

He said emphasis would be on ground water conservation and restoration. Priority would be rain harvesting apart from encouraging drip irrigation and other water preservation works like sprinklers in dry lands. It would also give priority to small lift irrigation schemes, which would help farmers during dry seasons, he said.

He said the previous Congress governments in the State had spent a whopping Rs 90,500 crore under Jalayagnam but failed to achieve the desired results as not even a single project was not completed.