Hyderabad, September 20: Chief minister K Rosaiah told the irrigation department officials to maintain a round-the-clock vigil at the brimming reservoirs to prevent damage and breaches to them. He reviewed water storage situation in the reservoirs in the state with major irrigation minister P Laxmaiah, chief secretary S V Prasad and other officials today.
The chief minister said due to heavy rains in the upstream, reservoirs were full with water. He said about 1,800 tmcft of water in the reservoirs would auger well for the economic development of the state.
At the same time there was a need to be wary of dangers in waiting, Rosaiah said.
Since the dams were full and the forecast was that more rains will follow, the officials should be ready to face any eventuality, he cautioned. Rosaiah suggested that the officials should follow the flows in the Krishna and Godavari and prepare strategies for the safety of the dams. He wanted them to alert the people of lower riparian areas in advance in the event of release of water from the reservoirs. He said that along with the newly created 1.6 lakh acre command area this year about 26 lakh acre had been irrigated in the last six years.
The chief minister wanted at least 38 lakh acre to be irrigated with the completion of 43 projects in the next two years.
He said so far Rs 48,500 crore had been spent on the Jalayagnam projects and with a spending of another Rs 12,800 crore, as many as 43 projects would be completed.
Regarding the Vamsadhara and Polavaram projects, irrigation department should take up a two-pronged strategy so that the cases being filed by the Orissa government in the Supreme Court did not hinder their construction, Rosaiah said. “We are talking and writing to Orissa chief minister Navin Patnaik and also fighting in the courts in support of our cause,” he explained.
He reminded that the Centre had stated already that the Polavaram would be given national project status. The state government was trying to get the same status to the Pranahitha-Chevella project.
The chief minister said it was unfortunate that during the last one month about 3,500 tmcft of water had gone into the sea.
–Agencies