Naidu makes Pattiseema a reality

​Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday released water into the Polavaram right canal through the Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme, interlinking Godavari and Krishna rivers in West Godavari district.

Nearly 700 cusecs (cubic foot per second) of water from Godavari was released which will flow into Krishna at the "Pavitra Sangamam" at Ibrahimpatnam near here. In all, the state government hopes to utilise 80 tmc (thousand million cubic) feet of Godavari water by diverting it to Krishna through the Polavaram right canal instead of letting the water flow waste into the Bay of Bengal.

Naidu, who inaugurated the Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme in March this year, on Wednesday switched on 24 pumps at the Pattiseema main pump house and let out water into the Polavaram right canal. "We have released 700 cusecs of water today and will increase the discharge depending on the water flow. Many people said the Pattiseema project will end up as a failure but we proved it otherwise," Naidu said.

Stating that AP has become the first state to interlink rivers (Godavari and Krishna), the Chief Minister said that it would be a boon for farmers in the Krishna delta who were otherwise not getting adequate water from Krishna.

Taking pot shots at the opposition parties, Naidu dared his opponents to quit politics as he has kept his word on linking rivers in a record number of 320 days. “All leaders of opposition parties said that it was not possible but the government had proved it otherwise.

Even Polavaram project will be completed with the same dedication,” he said. Ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, P Pulla Rao, Peetala Sujatha and others were present.

By: Samson Raj