Godavari, Krishna rivers to be linked today

Vijayawada: In a good news to farmers, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will release water of river Godavari into Krishna on Wednesday to mark the formal linking of the two rivers.

The programme will be held at Ibrahimpatnam village near here.

State Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao told reporters that the state has created history by completing the Krishna-Godavari linking project to divert about 80 TMC of water from river Godavari river to Krishna.

Parakala Prabhakar, Advisor (Communications) to Andhra Pradesh government, had told a news agency, "The inter-linking of rivers has been on the cards and on the drawing board for a long time, from the days when (eminent engineer) KL Rao was irrigation minister in the Union Cabinet (in 1950s). The plan was revived during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government. But, this is the first-ever time, it has been implemented."

The linkage of Godavari water with Krishna basin is being made possible by the 'Pattiseema' lift irrigation scheme on Godavari river at Pattisam village in West Godavari district, he had said.

Rao said the place of confluence of the two rivers near Ibrahimpatnam would be developed as a tourism place.