AP’s Water Grid project to be delayed

Officials say it may take another six months for the prestigious project to take final shape

Hyderabad: The much-publicised Water Grid proposed by the Andhra Pradesh government will take at least another six more months to get a final shape. According to senior officials in Panchayat Raj and Rural Water Supply departments, there were two important stages to the project, and completion of both might take another one year. The Water Grid project was proposed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, to tap the surface water and to provide protected drinking water. So far, the officials have been engaged in identifying surplus water in the existing river basins and other surface sources. Then, the experts have been asked to come up with proposals to take the surplus waters to deficit basins.

As of now, there are a few proposals put forth, like rejuvenating the Buckingham Canal to take water to Nellore from the Krishna and the Godavari basins, as well as water up to Somasila project.

Rejuvenating the Buckingham Canal has been considered as a major factor in successfully taking water from the Godavari and the Krishna basin to Nellore. The 421.55 kilometres long canal which was once a fresh water navigation canal, running parallel to the Coromandel Coast of South India, from Kakinada in East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu is now defunct. Rejuvenating it is believed to solve several issues associated with the Water Grid.

Another proposal mooted was to take water from upper Polavaram into the Krishna basin. A few more proposals have been conceived to establish lift irrigation schemes. This is considered to help in resolving certain bottlenecks in rolling out project.