Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam district is undergoing a rapid growth in all sectors including agriculture and allied activities. The government is spending crore to provide irrigation for cultivable land to develop this sector in the district.
Currently, Thandava Reservoir Project and other medium irrigation projects are providing irrigation facility to 3.71 lakh-acre cultivable land in the district. Four reservoirs are supplying 2.7 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) drinking water to the city.
Polavaram project left major canal works would be completed by the end of 2018 to provide irrigation water to 1.45 lakh acre land in the district, district collector Pravin Kumar said during the Republic Day speech at Police Barracks on Friday.
He said, “Not only agriculture, the government is encouraging commercial crops. It has promoted to cultivate mango, cashew, banana, papaya, flowering crops and alternative crops in 750 hectares of land. Horticulture department has set a target to achieve 12.97 growth rate by producing over 8.55 lakh tonne. The government has given funds of '11 crore on this.”
The collector informed that the state government has offered Rs 1,850 crore farm loans and Rs 1,100 crore short and long term loans to over four lakh beneficiaries. Over one lakh farmers have been benefitted under the third phase of farm loan waiver for more than Rs 9,560 crore.
Andhra Pradesh has received several awards for improving the basic facilities in rural areas and maximum utilising the benefits under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme at country level.
Under the same scheme, government has spent Rs 259 crore for providing work to 3.15 lakh families in the district for 173 lakh days till date, he added.
On the occasion, he has given awards to various government officials appreciating their services. Agriculture, SC Corporation, BC Corporation and Labour Department have distributed Rs 4.35 crore worth properties to 265 beneficiaries.
During the parade, the tableau of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) received the first prize. The students of several educational institutions have participated in the cultural programmes, while the students of Nature Cure Health Centre have performed yoga asanas.
