YSRC Demands Revival of Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project

YSRC state coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Monday accused the coalition government of abandoning the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project, alleging that the move would jeopardise Andhra Pradesh’s ability to utilise its allocated share of Krishna river waters.

Addressing the media after a round-table meeting of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project Task Force Committee in Nellore, Sajjala claimed that over 80 per cent of the project had been completed during the previous YSRC government. He said more than `900 crore had been spent on canal and civil works, and the project had reached the stage of installing pumps and motors before the change in government.

He alleged that despite orders having been placed for pumps and motors, the present government discontinued the project. Sajjala further claimed that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu halted the project in line with an assurance given to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

Describing the Rayalaseema Lift Scheme as a "game changer", he said its completion would have enabled the lifting of up to 3 TMC of water a day, ensuring effective utilisation of the 101 TMC of Krishna waters allocated to Rayalaseema, Nellore and Chennai.

Sajjala also criticised the state government for remaining silent over the proposed increase in the height of the Almatti Dam and the reduction in Polavaram Project height, alleging that both developments would adversely affect Andhra Pradesh’s water interests.

He accused the government of neglecting the nearly completed Rayalaseema Lift Project while making fresh promises on new irrigation schemes and called upon political parties, farmers' organisations, civil society groups and intellectuals to join a statewide agitation demanding its completion. Senior YSRC leaders including Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Sake Sailajnath and Gadikota Srikanth Reddy and district leaders took part in the meeting.