GODAVARI-PENNA LINKING PROJECT

About:

• The project will interlink the two major rivers, Godavari and Penna to solve drinking water and irrigation problems in south coastal Andhra.
  
  
• Need of project: Penna river flows through Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool, Chittoor and Nellore districts. But the meagre water resources in the river are not able to cater to the needs of these districts. On the other hand, a major share of Godavari water flows into the sea during the monsoon season.
  
  
• Timeline:
  • The project would be completed within two years. The first phase began with the construction of a lift irrigation scheme at Nakerikallu, 80 km from Vijayawada.
    
    
  • The state government has proposed to complete the project in five phases at an estimated cost of Rs 83,796 crore.
    
    
  
  
  
• Comment: According to officials, Andhra Pradesh has been the number one state in India in terms of interlinking of rivers. The Godavari and the Krishna were linked three years ago.