Stating that the completion of the mega Polavaram project on the Godavari is his life mission, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said he also wants to link the Godavari and the Penna rivers.

The Godavari and the Krishna have already been linked through the Pattiseema lift irrigation project.

He was taking part in a discussion on Pattiseema lift irrigation project in the AP Assembly at Amaravati on Friday. The winter session, which began on Friday, was boycotted by the Opposition YSR Congress MLAs.

The Chief Minister said the government had linked the Godavari and the Krishna in spite of criticism from the Opposition parties and several others. The project was completed in record time and the crops in the Krishna delta could be saved and water could be supplied to Rayalaseema.

Crop savings

He said the Pattiseema lift irrigation helped save crops worth ₹2,500 crore during 2015-16, ₹5,500 crore in 2016-17 and ₹6,000 crore during 2017-18 on paddy crop alone, besides generating substantial revenue on aquaculture and other sectors.

He said Anantapur would be developed as a horticulture hub. He said water would be supplied to East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts through Polavaram left main canal.

The Chief Minister sought discussion on irrigation sector in every session of Assembly. He said that the members of Assembly would be taken to Polavaram project site to promote awareness among them on the importance of the project and to show the progress of the project on November 16 and 17.

The Chief Minister said a target was set to attain 15 per cent sustainable growth and it would be possible only through providing water security to all regions of the State.

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