Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday set a deadline for the release of water into the Right and Left Main Canals of the Polavaram Project.
“The water should flow by gravity into the canals of Polavaram project by June. The excavation and other work should be expedited keeping the deadline in mind,” he said at the weekly virtual inspection and review meeting on the project at his chamber here.
Excavation works
The excavation works were scheduled to be completed by April-end. The officials said that the work slowed down a little during the festival season.
Giving details of the progress, the officials informed the Chief Minister that 64.31% of the total project work had been completed. “With regard to the concrete work, 61.70 % (22.71 lakh cubic metre of the total 36.79 lakh cubic metre) of the total work has been completed.
Nearly 85% of the excavation work (945.56 lakh cubic metre of the total 1,115.59 lakh cubic metre) has also been done,” the officials said.
Central dues
The officials also told Mr. Naidu that the Central dues to the State government towards the expenditure on Polavaram project had increased to ₹3,722.04 crore by January third week. “The number of farmers who have visited Polavaram project since April 23 last year has crossed 5 lakh,” they said.
The officials also suggested Mr. Naidu that tourism could be encouraged by setting up resorts and hotels on the hills on the either side of Polavaram project reservoir.
Chittoor, a tomato hub
Earlier in the day, Mr. Naidu said that plans should be prepared to transform Chittoor district into a tomato hub.
“The true potential of Chittoor can be realised now that water is available. The carrying of water from Krishna River to Chittoor is a historic development. The water used to be made available to the people of Madanapalli once in 15 days, but that has changed now,” Mr. Naidu to District Collectors during the weekly Neeru- Pragathi teleconference here.
Farmers’s income could be increased tremendously by promoting sericulture, he suggested.
Referring to Prakasam district, Mr. Naidu said it was the only district where all areas were not covered by irrigation. “With the completion of Veligonda project, the issue will be taken care of,” Mr. Naidu added.