3000 minor irrigation tanks to be restored

The Andhra Pradesh government is taking up restoration of more than 3,000 minor irrigation tanks, creating an additional ayacut of nearly six lakh acres.

Expressing satisfaction over the World Bank approval of $189 million credit to the state for restoration of irrigation tanks, chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy on Sunday said that under the project, the entire tank rehabilitation work would be undertaken in three tranches over a five-year period.

"The government would take up remodelling of 28 medium irrigation projects and construction of 100 new tanks, costing around Rs 1,000 crore under the Livelihood Improvement Project assisted by the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). The project proposes to create new irrigation potential of 1.08 lakh acres and stabilise six lakh acres," he said.

The state government has also submitted proposals of minor irrigation schemes under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Centre.

Proposals worth Rs 250 crore have already been submitted to the Centre for the year 2006-07 and an amount of Rs 75 crore had been spent under the Budget 2006-07.

The Centre is likely to approve schemes in tribal and drought-prone areas at a cost of Rs 160 crore.