The much hyped Pattiseema project constructed across Godavari has been hit by water scarcity. Irrigation department has declared water holiday to the project by switching off of the five pumps that had been in operation ever since the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme commissioned on August 15, 2015. The project has been celebrated as facilitator of first interlinking of rivers Godavari and Krishna in Andhra Pradesh will all water rituals.

The severe drop in the water flow in Godavari at the Dhavaleswaram barrage has forced the officials to stop the engines from Friday. According to officials it’s going to be a five-month holiday for the project and pumps will only be resumed in June 2016. The project , which was claimed to have been built in record time has 24 pumps which would become operational by March 2016. After the commissioning of the project, official have started five pumps with a capacity to pump 1,750 cusecs of water a day from Godavari into the Polavaram right main canal. The canal takes the water into Krishna Delta. With water flows falling in Godavari river, the water level has fallen in the Dhavaleswaram to 13.65 ft. Any pumping of water would affect the rice farming the East and West Godavari districts in the Rabi Season. In fact, this is exactly the reason for the farmer’s opposition for the project in the Godavari districts. So, to avoid generation resentment among the farmers, the official took the decision to announce the water-holiday for the project.

Officials said the holiday period would be utilized to complete the pending work on the project such as maintenance of Polavaram right main canal, installation of remaining 19 pumps and motors, construction of superstructure for the pump house etc. Once the PLIS is completed fully, it would transfer 8,500 cusecs a day from Godavari to Krishna delta.