Visakhapatnam to host International Congress on Irrigation, Drainage in November

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Water Resources Ambati Rambabu on Thursday stated that the 25th edition of the International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage would be held in Visakhapatnam from November 1 to 8, 2023 as a joint initiative of the Union and the State Governments.

The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) would conduct the congress with the theme ‘Tackling Water Scarcity in Agriculture’ this year. The Minister released a brochure on the conference at the irrigation camp office in Vijayawada.

Addressing a press conference, the Minister said that the State Government had sent special invites to the President of India Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ICID delegates.

He said that discussions would take place on the alternative water resources to be tapped for irrigated agriculture and on-farm techniques that could increase water productivity. Evaluation of irrigation systems, limited water usage for irrigation, and various systems followed by other countries would also be discussed.

Terming it one of the prestigious conferences to be held in Visakhapatnam, Ambati Rambabu said that the event would be held on a grand scale, as the country was hosting this congress after 57 years, with over 80 countries taking part in it. He said that the State Government received the ‘World Heritage Irrigation Structure’ award for Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage in 2022.

Cumbum Tank in Prakasam district, Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal popularly known as KC Canal, Porumamilla Tank also known as Anantharaja Sagaram in Kadapa district were the other projects in Andhra Pradesh that received the World Heritage Irrigation Structures Awards. This year, Prakasam Barrage was nominated by the State for the coveted ‘Heritage Irrigation Structures Award.’

State to run Pattiseema

Speaking on the floods to the Godavari River, the Minister said that the State Government decided to restart Pattiseema Project after a gap of four years to supply water to the Krishna Delta. With Godavari brimming with flood water, around five TMC of water would be released to Nagarjuna Sagar's right canal for drinking water purposes.