First phase of Interlinking of Krishna and Godavari rivers complete
Taking the first step to interlink the mighty Godavari and Krishna rivers, water from the Godavari was released into a newly built canal, and will eventually meet the river Krishna at Prakasam Barrage at Vijayawada on September 15 after flowing for 174 kms. After flowing for 124 kms, the Godavari water today reached the Krishna delta region where it was welcomed by thousands of farmers and villagers who offered flowers and prayers. “It is a historic moment. Godavari and Krishna rivers are interlinked now,’’ AP Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao said.
Godavari and Krishna rivers would be formally linked next week in Andhra Pradesh as per the government’s ambitious plan for their inter-linkage and towards making the state “drought-proof”.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu would attend an event on September 15 when the Godavari water from West Godavari district would flow into the Krishna basin in neighbouring in Krishna district.
“The inter-linking of rivers has been on the cards and on the drawing board for a long time, from the days when (eminent engineer) K L Rao was Irrigation minister in the Union Cabinet (in 1950s). The plan was revived during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s NDA government. But, this is the first-ever time, it has been implemented,” Parakala Prabhakar, Advisor (Communications) to Andhra Pradesh government, told PTI today.
We started releasing the water on September 1. About 450 to 500 cusecs was released intermittently as and when surplus water was available after meeting the requirements of the Tatipudi’s ayacut. This water has today reached 124 kms in the Polavaram Canal and has crossed into Krishna delta in Nuzvid of Krishna district. By September 14 or 15, about 26,000 cusecs will flow into the Prakasam Barrage. This was a trial run to see how the newly built Polavaram canal works, speed of water flow etc,’’ Indira Sagar Polavaram Project Right Main Canal (ISRMC) Superintending Engineer Srinivas Yadav said Wednesday.
