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Pattiseema delivered water security to Delta, Seems: Nimmala
In Short
- Irrigation minister says 57 tmc ft of Godavari water diverted to Krishna this year
- Lift scheme ensured irrigation to 7 lakh acres, drinking water for 30 lakh people
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Irrigation minister Nimmala Ramanaidu along with leaders water users associations speaking to the media at the Secretariat on Saturday
Amaravati: Water resources minister Dr Nimmala Ramanaidu on Saturday said the Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme stands as a shining example of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision, providing water security to both the Krishna Delta and drought-prone Rayalaseema.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, the minister said the project had delivered remarkable results by transferring Godavari water to the Krishna basin. He noted that an investment of about Rs 1,600 crore in Pattiseema scheme had helped create wealth worth nearly Rs 50,000 crore and safeguarded the interests of lakhs of farmers.
Ramanaidu described the project as both an engineering marvel and a dream project for farmers. Despite severe drought conditions and the impact of a Super El Niño year, he said 57 tmc ft of Godavari water had been diverted to the Krishna river this year.
This helped provide irrigation to nearly seven lakh acres in the Krishna Delta and ensured drinking water supply to around 30 lakh people. The minister said Pattiseema had reduced dependence on water releases from the Srisailam reservoir.
Without the project, at least 30 to 40 tmc ft of water would have been required from Srisailam even to meet the delta’s drinking water needs, he said. By supplying 57 tmc ft through Pattiseema, water stored in Srisailam could instead be used for Rayalaseema and drinking water requirements in areas served by the Nagarjuna Sagar project.
Criticising former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Ramanaidu recalled that the YSRCP leader had opposed the project while in the opposition, allegedly describing it as a waste of public money and questioning the usefulness of its pumps.
He said the project’s performance had disproved those criticisms.
The minister also pointed to the large volume of Godavari floodwaters flowing into the sea every year and said Chandrababu Naidu’s decision to utilise those waters through Pattiseema before the completion of the Polavaram project demonstrated significant foresight.
He asserted that Pattiseema would remain a landmark project in Andhra Pradesh’s history for protecting farmers’ interests despite political criticism and challenging natural conditions. Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Project committee chairman D Venkateswara Rao, Federation of Water Users Associations president Alla Gopala Venkata Krishna Rao, presidents of water users associations were present.
