Irrigation for every acre is the goal: AP CM

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that effective water conservation is the only way to transform Andhra Pradesh into a leading agricultural state , asserting that the government’s goal is to provide irrigation to every acre of farmland. He called upon Water Users Associations (WUAs) to play a crucial role in achieving this objective.

Addressing a state-level meeting of Water Users Associations , the Chief Minister stressed the need to conserve every available drop of water in the state. He said wastage of water flows must be prevented by filling reservoirs and tanks and by augmenting groundwater reserves . “Our resolve is to turn the land itself into a massive reservoir , which will ensure the availability of irrigation water even during droughts,” he said.

Focusing on the development of Rayalaseema , Naidu recalled that feeder canals in the region once flowed abundantly. He said large-scale projects such as the Handri–Neeva and Galeru–Nagari were expedited during the coalition government’s tenure to prevent Rayalaseema from remaining a rocky and arid region . Referring to the Telugu Ganga project , he said it not only helped make Rayalaseema fertile but also met Chennai’s drinking water needs, reflecting cordial inter-state relations .

The Chief Minister said Anantapur district , which once resembled a desert, has now emerged as a hub for fruit orchards . He expressed confidence that the district would be developed into an international-level horticulture hub in the coming years.

Naidu also recalled that initiatives such as Neeru–Meeru and Neeru–Chettu , undertaken earlier for water conservation, had delivered excellent results . He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised the water conservation practices in Anantapur district during his Mann Ki Baat address.

He said around 10 lakh soak pits have been established across the state and that the use of micro-irrigation methods such as drip and sprinkler systems is helping prevent water wastage. The Chief Minister asserted that if the waters of the state’s 40 rivers are interconnected and utilised efficiently, drought would become a thing of the past in Andhra Pradesh.

Emphasising equity in water distribution , Naidu said Water Users Associations bear the responsibility of ensuring that water reaches even the tail-end farmer on an equal basis.