Naidu calls for a people’s movement to fight drought

Calling for a people’s movement to save every drop of water in the drought-hit Prakasam district, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday shared with the farmers his vision of drought-proofing the State through transfer of water from the surplus Godavari basin to the deficit Krishna basin and then to Penna basin.

Gone are the days when peasants of then prosperous Pokuru village near V.V.Palem used to grow two crops a year getting as copious rains during the southwest and northeast monsoon seasons always did the trick. But, this was the situation some decades ago.

Now, Prakasam district is grappling with the drought situation for the fourth year in a row and farmers are not in a position to grow a single rain-fed crop in ease.

Reiterating the government’s concern to bail out the farmers, the Chief Minister said, “I am taking the responsibility of linking the major rivers in the State. Each and every person should contribute to mite to harvest rain water in a big way and revive all dysfunctional minor and major irrigation tanks.”

He said the government had sanctioned ₹30 lakh for desiltation of the village tank and another ₹6.30 lakh for a lift irrigation scheme to draw water from Rallapadu reservoir.

“We want to see the prosperity returns to our village. We are hopeful of getting water in the next cropping season,” said Srinivasa Rao, a farmer who was part of team that went to witness the progress of the ongoing Polavaram project works to bring Godavari waters to the Krishna basin and from there to parched Prakasam district to stabilise the Ayacut under the Nagarjunasagar Right Bank canal and wet the lands in Kandukur region in the next phase.

Veligonda project

“The Veligonda project for which the foundation stone has already been laid will be completed by May next year,” the CM asserted.

The cropping area would double to two crore acres once the linking of Godavari and Penna gets fructified, explained Irrigation Minister D. Umamaheswara Rao, blaming the ‘faulty policy’ by the Centre for the farmers not getting minimum support price for their produce.

With available resources, the State government had resorted to market intervention and provided relief to the growers of bengal gram and red gram, he said.

Taking note of the fact that the prices for various grades of tobacco were declining, he said the government would exert pressure on the Centre to provide succour to the farmers.

Ramayapatnam port

Blaming the Congress for finalising an agreement with a private port operator at Krishnapatnam, he said a sea port at Ramayapatnam would be set up soon to spur growth in the industrially backward district. The promised University of Mines and Mineral Sciences would be started at N.G.Padu soon and IIIT at Dubagunta, near Pamur, he added.