Pattiseema motors to be turned on again

Vijayawada: The state government has decided to bring the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Project back into use as the Krishna delta is witnessing water shortage.

Addressing the media here on Thursday, water resources minister Ambati Rambabu announced that the government is going to restart the Pattiseema project to cater the water needs of the Krishna delta farmers. He said that so far they had released 17 tmc ft water from the Pulichintala project which was stored for the future needs of the Krishna delta. However, as Pulichintala is not receiving any surplus water, it has been decided to lift the Godavari surplus water from Pattiseema project to the Krishna river, he added.

The minister said that the lift irrigation scheme was used just once during the past four years. He also informed that a 5 tmf ft water also will be released for Nagarjunasagar Right canal from the Nagarjunasagar project to meet the water needs of farmers.

On Polavaram project, the minister informed that the discussions were underway regarding the diaphragm wall which was damaged partially on whether to carry out repair works or to construct a new wall in front of the old wall. He said the discussions would be completed soon and they would make a decision to either carry out repairs or to build a new diaphragm wall.

Meanwhile, the 25th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) and the 74th International Executive Council Meeting (IEC) will be held at Visakhapatnam from November 1 to 8, the water resources minister said, adding that either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or President of India Droupadi Murmu is likely to inaugurate this international congress on November 2.

He said that the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Indian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (INCID), Central Water Commission and ministry of Jal Shakti are jointly conducting this event. The ICID was established in 1950 with head office in New Delhi with 78 countries across the globe being members, accounting for 95 per cent of the world’s irrigated and drainage areas.

Minister Ramabau informed that 500 international and 700 local delegates are expected to attend this congress.

ICID vice-president Dr K Yella Reddy said ICID is a leading scientific, technical, not-for-profit organisation working internationally in the field of irrigation, drainage and flood management to promote ‘Sustainable Agricultural Water Management. He said that the last meeting was held in Australia in 2020 and now it will be taking place in India. Water resources principal secretary Sashi Bushan, engineer-in-chief C Narayana Reddy and others were present.