Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has warned that bifurcation of the State will be detrimental to the interests of farmers.
Addressing representatives of the Joint Action Committee of Seemandhra farmers, Reddy said farmers in the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions will face serious challenges in getting irrigation water from various projects on the Krishna and Godavari river systems.
“We should have both Krishna and Godavari water basins in one combined State in order to have proper water supply to farmers in all the three regions. Before the formation of Andhra Pradesh, we had only Prakasam barrage in that region that supplied water to only 8,000 acres,” he said.
“Only after the formation of the State, we could build big projects such Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam and Sriram Sagar and irrigate lakhs of acres.” Referring to the Jalayagnam project, he said the State had spent Rs 80,000 crore and provided water to 22 lakh acres.
“We are in the process of spending an equal amount to provide water supply to 34 lakh acres. If we are united, we can be a force to reckon with,” he said.
The farmers have requested the Chief Minister to see to it that the State is not divided.