Amaravati, February 26 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday that the government is working towards interlinking rivers within the state, in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advice.
Addressing the Assembly, the chief minister highlighted that PM Modi observed that achieving interlinking of rivers would finally make interlinking of rivers easy at the national level.
"When I spoke to the PM, he said that interlinking all the rivers in your (Andhra) state, then finally, it will be easy to link at the national level. We are working with that spirit," Naidu said.
Observing that the government is very clear on this front, the CM said interlinking rivers from Vamshadara to Penna will solve problems to a great extent in the southern state.
Naidu gave an assurance to the House to achieve interlinking of all the rivers in Andhra Pradesh, adding that the government will also take the responsibility of offering 'jala harati' (ritual) to Telugu Talli (Telugu mother) after accomplishing this goal.
On importance being accorded to irrigation, the TDP supremo said Rs 68,000 crore was spent on this sector during the previous TDP government between 2014 and 2019 and another Rs 20,000 crore until now in the NDA government.
Naidu reminded that the people in the Godavari districts still pay their respects to British engineer Sir Arthur Cotton, who had irrigated swathes of the region by building a barrage on the Godavari river.
According to Naidu, "all irrigation projects" in the state were initiated during NDA governments, but not under Congress rule.
He promised to supply water through the first phase of the Veligonda Project by July.
Accusing the previous YSRCP government of neglecting irrigation projects in the North Andhra region, the CM said they will cost Rs 2,000 crore and promised to complete them.
He also vowed to complete the Polavaram Project before Pushkaralu (Kumbh Mela-like pilgrimage) in 2027.
Naidu said nearly 800 TMC water is available in the state as of today in all the irrigation projects, whose total capacity is over 1,300 TMC, amounting to 60 per cent of the total capacity.
Noting that rainfall forecasts are not rosy, he said water will be released from May 15 to enable early sowing of crops.
Hinting at Telangana, the CM emphasised that nobody would be a loss to Andhra Pradesh's Polavaram Project and Nallamala Sagar. He said both the Telugu states will benefit.
Reminding that he did not oppose Telangana's Kaleshwaram project, Naidu observed that it is not fair for the neighbouring Telugu state to oppose Nallamala Sagar project now.
Further, Naidu stressed that water security is the government's onus, observing that there is no bigger development than providing tap water.
The CM said he would take the responsibility to supply water to every acre of land, fulfil drinking water needs and meet the requirements of the industry.