A.P. Minister directs officials to complete all canal maintenance works by May-end

WRD Minister directs officials to complete canal maintenance works by May end, using drones for efficiency and quality assurance.

Water Resources Department (WRD) Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu asked the officials to complete all canal maintenance works such as desilting, weed growth removal, water hyacinth, shutter and gate repairs, greasing, and others, by the end of May. 

The Minister held a teleconference with the Chief Engineers (CEs) and Superintending Engineers (SEs) from across the State from the Water Resources camp office, in Vijayawada, on Monday.  

“The Andhra Pradesh government has released ₹344 crore for these operations across the State. Permission has been granted to call short tenders within seven days, wherever urgently needed. The main objective of these maintenance and repair works is to restore the irrigation infrastructure to normal condition before the start of the 2025 Kharif season. The officials can explore the possibility of using drones to spray herbicides and remove weeds and hyacinth,” the Minister said.

Assistant Engineers must personally inspect mechanical works such as shutters and gates and provide a written certification to the Chief Engineer confirming their operability. Works within the jurisdiction of Water User Associations must also be completed by the end of May, he added.

To ensure timely execution, CEs and SEs must conduct continuous supervision. Under no circumstances should the works be delayed beyond the beginning of the season. Unlike in the past, this time all emergency works must be completed by the end of May with assured quality, Mr. Ramanaidu said.

Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation) G. Saiprasad, CADA Commissioner Ramsundar Reddy, ENC M. Venkateswara Rao, and other senior officials were present.