Vijayawada: The Polavaram-Banakacharla Interconnection Project will significantly transform the drought-prone regions of Andhra Pradesh, said Venkata Gopala Krishna Rao, the state president of the Federation of Irrigation Users’ Associations and vice chairman of the Nagarjunasagar Left Canal Project Committee. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, he highlighted the project’s potential to revitalise the state and improve its agricultural landscape.Rao noted that Andhra Pradesh’s continued 66 per cent share in Krishna River waters, along with the state government’s decision to set up the headquarters of the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) in Amaravati, would support the release of full irrigation water to protect the wet crops in the 3rd zone of the Nagarjunasagar Left Canal. He noted that the Polavaram-Banakacharla Link Project, which utilises floodwaters from the Godavari River, would transform the drought-prone areas of Rayalaseema, as well as the united districts of Prakasam, Nellore and Guntur, into fertile lands. This development would significantly improve the living standards of farmers in the region. Rao also pointed out that the project would create irrigation facilities for 7.5 lakh acres and stabilize the existing 22 lakh acres under the Velugonda, Nagarjunasagar Right Canal, Kandaleru and Somasila projects. Additionally, the project would provide 20 TMC of water for industrial use. He urged the central government to allocate funds for the Polavaram-Banakacharla project, similar to the `45,000 crore allocated for the development of the Bundelkhand region by linking Khen and Batwa rivers in Madhya Pradesh. He criticised the appeals from some intellectuals and farmers’ associations to abandon the project without fully understanding its benefits and implications. Rao also welcomed the State government’s decision to establish the KRMB headquarters in Amaravati and thanked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and water resources minister Nimmala Rama Naidu. He reiterated the importance of effectively presenting the State’s case before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal to secure a 66 per cent share of Krishna River water and release the remaining waters from Telangana for the 3rd zone of the Nagarjunasagar Left Canal.
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