Irrigation projects now tourist places in Telugu states

The Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have decided to open up their flagship irrigation project sites for tourists.

The completion of mega projects such as Polavaram in Andhra Pradesh and Kaleshwaram in Telangana becoming deciding factors of electoral fortunes, the governments have decided to allow people to visit the project sites.

Expressing happiness over the progress of Polavaram project works, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asked the officials to make arrangements for gallery walk of the spillway on September 3.

So far, more than 1 lakh people have visited Polavaram project site in West Godavari district and thousands of people from all the 13 districts are ready to visit the dam site. The new initiative is expected to streamline the flow of visitors.

The idea to allow the public to high-security project sites came while conducting a virtual review of the progress of the Polavaram project works at the secretariat for the 71st time.

The state government believes that the apprehensions about the pace of the national project in the minds of people can be cleared by allowing them to visit the project.

He said 57.41% of project works completed so far, including 44.23% head works, 42.80% main dam package, 77% excavation works, 33.7% concrete works, 61.75% radial gate works, 94.20% of jet grouting works were completed.

Telangana, which is a step ahead of Andhra Pradesh, has added the flagship lift irrigation project - Kaleshwaram - to its tourism circuit on June 2, on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Telangana state. The state Tourism Development Corporation is running a day-long special tour from Hyderabad to Kaleshwaram.

The tour to the multi-stage project begins at 7.30 am and ends at around 9 pm. It covers Ranganayakasagar Project (near Siddipet), Sundilla Barrage (near Manthani) and Annaram Pump House.

The tourism corporation has set aside dedicated buses for the tour. However, the service was suspended recently as the river Godavari is in spate with inflows from above and heavy rain in the vicinity of the project.