Andhra Pradesh government has made a provision for Rs.5,258 crore to the irrigation sector for 2015-16 with major part going for plan allocation.
In view of the shift in contributions of agriculture, industries and service sectors to the GSDP from the combined state to that of successor state of Andhra Pradesh and the agriculture sector share increasing from 22.9 per cent to 27.5 per cent, the government is keen to complete the six ongoing irrigation projects on priority basis.
These projects including Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme, thortapalli barrage project, Handri Neeva, Galeru Nagari, Vamsadhara project, Veligona project to provide irrigation facilities in the drought prone Rayalaseema and Prakasam districts and backward districts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram. The projects are expected to be completed during 2015-16 to 2017-18.
With five major rivers – Godavari, Krishna, Pennar, Vamsadhara and Nagavali with an ayacut of 101 lakh acres under major, medium and minor irrigation schemes, government accorded top priority for utilising 3,000 tmc of Godavari waters going to the sea.
With the same objective, government allocated Rs.1,000 crore for Polavaram project declared the national project by the Centre. As the project would be funded by the Centre, the allocated amount would be reimbursed by the Centre. Tipped as the first project in the country for interlinking rivers, it would divert 80 tmc of Godavari water to Krishna river, irrigate seven lakh acres and generate 960 mw of hydel power. As the project would take about three years, Pattiseema Lift irrigation would be completed first to divert Godavari flood water to Krishna basin.
The Finance Minister said projects nearing completion would be completed first to bring more ayacut under cultivation.
