Address water woes of Rayalaseema, CPI leader tells Chief Minister Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan

CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna addressing the media in Vijayawada on Sunday. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. GIRI

CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna criticised the government for making tall claims on the proposed Godavari-Banakacherla project, even as the people in Rayalaseema, especially those in Kurnool district, are suffering due to lack of drinking water.

The government, instead of completing the pending projects, was planning to take up the Godavari-Banakacherla project, Mr. Ramakrishna said while addressing the media here on Sunday.

He criticised Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for focussing only on grand-scale projects and neglecting rural water supply. Funds had not been allocated for irrigation projects in Rayalaseema in the previous year’s Budget and the “neglect” continued this year too, he alleged.

Earlier, Mr. Naidu had focussed on Amaravati and Polavaram, and now the focus shifted to the Godavari–Banakacharla project, which was estimated to cost ₹82,000 crore, he said. “While people from Rayalaseema are migrating due to water scarcity, there is no response from Mr. Naidu,” he alleged.

“Even after 75 years of Independence, villages continue to be deprived of drinking water. Neither Mr. Naidu nor Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan are paying attention to the issue. Why has Mr. Pawan Kalyan not addressed the drinking water issue in Rayalaseema?” he asked.

Constituencies such as Emmiganur, Alur, Mantralayam, Adoni, and Pattikonda were facing extremely harsh conditions, where people were forced to drink muddy water from farm puddles. Among them, Aspari mandal in Alur constituency was the worst affected, Mr. Ramakrishna said.

Published - June 01, 2025 08:22 pm IST