The Forum for Development of North Andhra (FDNA) has welcomed the initiative of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in writing a letter to his Odisha counterpart on the Neradi project on Vamsadhara river.
In a letter to Mr. Jagan on Sunday, FDNA general secretary A. Aja Sarma described Vamsadhara as the lifeline of Srikakulam district. According to the agreement made with Odisha in 1962, Andhra Pradesh has to get 57.5 tmc ft, i.e. half of the total of 115 tmc ft. The Gotta Barrage, completed in 1977, could provide irrigation facilities to 1,48,230 acres. But, Andhra Pradesh was using only 17,841 tmc ft, while the remaining water was flowing into the sea.
The Neradi project was conceived at an estimated cost of ₹933 crore in 2002, to provide an additional storage of 16,685 tmc ft. The construction could not be taken up so far due to the objections raised by Odisha. The Vamsadhara Tribunal had permitted construction of the project but the previous government had neglected it. The past governments had even neglected construction of three side canals, an an alternative to three reservoirs, ignoring the advice of engineers. This negligence of the past governments had resulted in drought conditions and migration of people though Srikakulam district has plenty of irrigation water, he said.
Mr. Sarma appealed to the Chief Minister to also take up with the Odisha Chief Minister on the Jhanjavathi project, which can provide 10 tmc ft of water to Vizianagaram district. The project, which was started in 1976, could not be completed so far, he added.
