Andhra Pradesh is making all efforts to make the best use of available water resources and make the State drought-free, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said.

He was speaking in Guntur district on Wednesday after laying the foundation stone for the Kondaveetivagu pumping scheme to prevent flood threat to 14,000 acres in the capital region. The project is estimated to cost ₹237 crore with 16 pumps.

At a public meeting on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the project would be completed in three months. Over 5,000 cusecs of water would be pumped into Krishna river during flash floods of Kondaveetivagu (a rivulet) and the balance floodwater would be diverted to Krishna western delta through left main canal to supply water to tail-end areas.

The Chief Minister said that inland water transport would be encouraged by reviving the Buckingham canal and several internal canals. He predicted that the entire area with water front and canal side areas would be developed to attract tourists. He said that despite scanty rainfall the State government was able to achieve 24.5 per cent growth in agricultural and allied sectors.

Thanking the farmers of the capital region for making the development a reality, he said that the interim secretariat was completed in a record time and the Assembly sessions are scheduled to be held in Amaravati this month. Water Resources Minister D Umamaheswara Rao said Chandrababu Naidu had taken the initiative to solve centuries-old problem of Kondaveetivagu flash floods. Guntur district collector Kantilal Dande also spoke.

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