Regional
Project interlinking Godavari, Krishna rivers in Andhra commissioned
Vijayawada: Godavari and Krishna rivers in Andhra Pradesh were formally linked on Wednesday with the commissioning of Pattiseema lift irrigation project in Krishna district.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu unveiled a pylon at Ferry village near Ibrahimpatnam to formally launch the project, linking the two major rivers.
Amid the chanting of Vedic hymns by the priests, Naidu performed puja at the confluence of the two rivers. His cabinet colleagues and a large number of local people were present.
Naidu later left for Pattiseema in West Godavari district to switch on the first pump of his pet project to release water from Godavari into the Polavaram right main canal that links with the Krishna river upstream of the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada.
In what is claimed to be the first-ever river interlinking in the country, the project is expected to meet the irrigation and drinking water needs of drought-prone Rayalseema region and also bring stabilisation under Krishna delta.
Naidu described it as a historic occasion and named the Ferry village as Godavari-Krishna Pavitra Sangamam, which will be developed as a tourism spot.
The project is designed to draw 120 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) from Godavari going waster into the sea and release them into the Krishna. This is expected to change the face of both Rayalaseema and Krishna delta.
Considered rice bowl of India, Krishna delta is facing water shortage due to construction of dams in upstream Karnataka.
Megha Engineering Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) has completed the first phase works in less than six months. All the 24 pumps brought from China will be ready for operation by March next year.
Though Naidu had dedicated the project to people on August 15, it could not be commissioned.
Telugu Desam Party-led government is claiming completion of the first phase of this Rs.1,300 crore project as a major achievement.
The project was first mooted in 1950s by eminent engineer K.L. Rao, who was also the central water resources minister. The plan was revived during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s NDA government but could be taken up only this year.
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What monkey fled with a bag containing evidence in it: Read full story
The court, generally, considers a person who commit a crime and the one who destroys the evidence, as criminals in the eyes of law. But what if an animal destroys the evidence of a crime committed by a human.
In a peculiar incident in Rajasthan, a monkey fled away with the evidence collected by the police in a murder case. The stolen evidence included the murder weapon (a blood-stained knife).
The incident came to light when the police appeared before the court and they had to provide the evidence in the hearing.
The hearing was about the crime which took place in September 2016, in which a person named Shashikant Sharma died at a primary health center under Chandwaji police station. After the body was found, the deceased’s relatives blocked the Jaipur-Delhi highway, demanding an inquiry into the matter.
Following the investigation, the police had arrested Rahul Kandera and Mohanlal Kandera, residents of Chandwaji in relation to the murder. But, when the time came to produce the evidence related to the case, it was found that the police had no evidence with them because a monkey had stolen it from them.
In the court, the police said that the knife, which was the primary evidence, was also taken by the monkey. The cops informed that the evidence of the case was kept in a bag, which was being taken to the court.
The evidence bag contained the knife and 15 other important evidences. However, due to the lack of space in the malkhana, a bag full of evidence was kept under a tree, which led to the incident.