CM Naidu vows to interlink Godavari, Krishna & Penna

Rajamahendravaram: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has announced a plan of action for the implementation of ‘water security’, one of his five guiding principles to solve the problems in the agriculture sector.

Naidu has previously listed the five principles: water security, demand-driven crop planning, modern agri-technology, expansion of food processing, and sustained government support.

As part of ensuring water security, a decision has been taken to interlink the Godavari, Krishna, and Penna rivers, he declared at a gathering of farmers during the ‘Rythanna Meekosam’ programme organised at Nallajerla village in the Gopalapuram constituency of East Godavari district on Wednesday. Naidu said that the coalition government prioritises resolving farmers' issues.

He noted that agriculture contributes six per cent of the state's revenue and is the state's strength. He advised farmers to understand that the value of their produce is not dependent solely on local conditions but also on developments in other countries and regions and urged them to remain vigilant.

The Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to transform the state into a ‘model state’. He asserted that the Godavari waters would be diverted to north Andhra “under any circumstances” and assured people that electricity charges would not be increased.

In Nallajerla, the Chief Minister was welcomed by Ministers, the local MLA, and officials. He inspected the inter-crops cultivated by local farmers and participated in a face-to-face interaction, during which he learned about their farming details and problems.

After addressing the farmers, the Chief Minister felicitated “ideal farmers” who had adopted improved cultivation methods. Among those honored was Gedda Jogendra Prasad, who was recognised for producing jaggery from sugarcane using natural methods and providing clean food to consumers. Gadde Muneswara Rao, a farmer from Yernagudem, was honored for raising his income and setting an example for the village by cultivating paddy using natural methods and independently processing products like jaggery and chili powder.

Other farmers who received honors included Gadde Harischandra Prasad (paddy farmer from Chityala village), Kakarla Harinath (Duddukuru farmer), Dondapati Lakshmi Narayana (Singarajupalem farmer), Obelisetty Gopalakrishna (Gundugolanugunta), and Yelamati Bhaskara Rao (Kurukuru village).

During the event, the Chief Minister stressed that farmers' profits would increase if they shifted to the natural farming approach, urging all farmers to follow the model of these ideal farmers. Naidu said agriculture must expand beyond cultivation and move into value addition through agro-based industries and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at the village level. He said that Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are essential to transforming farmers into entrepreneurs and strengthening rural economic activity across the state.

Naidu told the assembled farmers that water would be supplied through the Polavaram and Tadipudi lift irrigation projects and urged them to reduce fertiliser use and adopt micronutrient applications, noting that such practices could fetch premium prices. The TDP chief said oil palm waste could be used as fertiliser and advised dairy farmers to collectively cultivate fodder on designated lands, assuring support through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) funds for grass cultivation. He said that electric poles located between oil palm fields would be relocated and encouraged farmers to embrace horticulture, agro-processing and allied sectors to strengthen household income.

The Chief Minister criticised the erstwhile YSRCP regime, alleging that land records were tampered with and the agriculture sector was thrown into disarray. He accused YSRCP leaders of implementing the 22A policy to illegally occupy lands and criticised them for encroaching upon government lands

The programme was attended by the district in-charge Minister and Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Ramanaidu, Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Cinematography Kandula Durgesh, Minister for Agriculture K Atchennaidu, District Collector Kirti Chekuri, Gopalapuram MLA Maddipati Venkatraju, public representatives, officials, and many farmers.

Collector Kirti Chekuri claimed that from November 24 to 30, officials directly met 1.14 lakh farmer families across the district's Rythu Seva Kendras, collecting their problems and suggestions. She added that an action plan is being prepared in collaboration with farmers for the upcoming three seasons (Rabi 2025–26, Kharif 2026–27, and Rabi 2026–27).