AP allocates Rs 150 crore for Dowleswaram barrage gate instalments

Vijayawada: The minister for water resources and irrigation, Nimmala Ramanaidu, on Tuesday told the assembly that the state govt allotted Rs 150.09 crore for installing new gates at the Dowleswaram barrage.Answering a question during question hour, he said the barrage remains a critical lifeline for the 10.13 lakh acres under the Godavari Delta and for drinking and industrial water supply across the erstwhile East and West Godavari districts.Calling Dowleswaram the "heart of the delta system", Ramanaidu said that the TDP govt in 2014 installed 58 new gates out of the 175 gates for Rs 31.77 crore under the Godavari Delta Modernisation Programme. After the coalition govt took charge in 2024, funds were given to replace the remaining 117 gates, he said.The minister said the barrage's condition deteriorated during the 2019–24 period, alleging that the then YSRCP govt failed to act despite warnings issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on the structure's safety.Ramanaidu said that tenders for replacing gates at the cotton barrage were issued in Jan and assured a continuous water supply. He said works would be executed in phases using stop-log gates so that irrigation flows to the delta canals are not disrupted.To address flood-related issues and structural repairs, the govt allocated Rs 13.4 crore to prepare a detailed project report and conduct a LiDAR survey, he said. An aerial LiDAR survey is already underway in the Godavari districts, he informed the assembly.