CM to lay stone for Godavari scheme

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MAY 31. The foundation stone for the Godavari Lift Irrigation Scheme for irrigating five lakh acres in four Telangana districts will be laid by the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, some time around June 15.

Estimated to cost Rs. 1800 crores, the scheme will draw 50 tmcft of water from the Godavari without encroaching upon the interests of other riparian States unlike the Ichampalli project which has inter-State implications. The State Government has initially earmarked Rs. 50 crores for this scheme and will later approach international funding agencies for money.

This was disclosed to Opposition leaders at an all- party meeting convened by the Government today to discuss four irrigation- related issues - utilisation of Godavari waters, implementation of the Pulichintala project, now at the eye of a political storm, the dispute with Karnataka over the execution of minor irrigation projects and the `Neeru-Meeru' (water conservation) project. Leaders of the Congress, TDP, BJP, CPI (M) and MIM took part.

Briefing presspersons later, the Minister for Major Irrigation, Mr. M. Venkateswara Rao, said Mr. Naidu invited opposition leaders to attend the stone-laying function and the venue would be announced soon. They were informed about the high- level meeting with Central Water Commission (CWC) officials in New Delhi on Wednesday regarding the Ichampalli project. The CWC approved the proposed site for Ichampalli as well as the revised 95 metre height of the dam. But, the main hitch was the objection raised by Chhatisgarh over submersion of lands in the State though other States were favourably disposed to construction of the project. A suggestion to send an all-party delegation to Chhatisgarh to convince the Congress Government there was welcomed by the Congress leaders. But, it remained to be seen whether the Centre would take the initiative to persuade the Chhatisgarh Government, the Minister added.

No discord on Pulichintala

An important development at the all-party meeting was the assertion by all parties, barring the Majlis, that they were not opposed to the Pulichintala project, least of all the ongoing investigation work. However, they were one in the view that the Government must accord priority to pending irrigation projects in Telangana such as Sriramsagar and Srisailam Left Bank Canal before taking up Pulichintala.

The Government sought to allay fears about large-scale submersion of lands in Telangana by saying that only 8,000 acres of land in the region would be submerged, including two villages fully, three partially while three others would have to be protected by a wall. The Government said the question of launching the project without rehabilitating the affected people did not arise.

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