450 of 1,047 lift irrigation schemes in Andhra Pradesh were defunct during YSRCP’s rule, says Water Resources Minister

Key irrigation projects, barrages, reservoirs, canals, and drains were left unattended, without basic repairs or maintenance, Nimmala Ramanaidu tells the Assembly

Water Resources Department Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu on November 19 (Tuesday) informed the Andhra Pradesh Assembly that 450 of the 1,047 Lift Irrigation (LI) schemes in the State were defunct during the YSR Congress Party’s (YSRCP) tenure. 

The Minister was replying to two separate questions raised by Jana Sena Party (JSP) Rajanagaram MLA Bathula Ramakrishna on the maintenance of irrigation canals, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Pileru MLA Nallari Kishan Kumar Reddy on Adavipalli Irrigation project, in the  Assembly on November 19 (Tuesday).

Pointing out that the irrigation sector had ‘suffered badly’ during the YSRCP’s tenure, Mr. Ramanaidu mentioned that key projects, barrages, reservoirs, canals, and drains were left unattended, without basic repairs or maintenance.

“The Planning Commission has recommended that at least ₹983 crore should be spent annually on the operation and maintenance (O&M) of irrigation canals. However, a mere ₹125 crore was allocated during the five-year rule of the YSRCP. The TDP government, during its previous tenure between 2014 and 2019, had allocated ₹5,091 crore for canals and CADA, while it was only ₹1,340 crore during 2019-24,” the Water Resource Minister said.

The TDP government had allocated ₹72,000 crore for irrigation, while the YSRCP government allocated ₹38,000 crore. These allocations were made when compared to the total budget outlay of ₹7 lakh crore during the TDP’s tenure, and ₹12 lakh crore during the YSRCP’s rule. “The allocations made during the TDP’s rule speak volumes of its commitment to the development of the irrigation sector,” he said.

The Minister further said that the government had earmarked ₹284 crore for urgent works such as clearing debris, silt, and mud from canals and drains.

Adivipalli Reservoir

Referring to the Adivipalli Reservoir, which is a part of the Handri-Neeva project, the Minister said that the construction of the reservoir was complete during the TDP’s previous tenure. “However, the YSRCP government had failed to undertake any work on the main canal or water supply management. A total of ₹350 crore would be required to complete the pending works in three phases, and tenders for this will be called soon,” he added.

Published - November 19, 2024 08:33 pm IST