The Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Project in Andhra Pradesh is a river-interlinking project that connects the:

The Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Project, in the West Godavari (now Eluru) district of Andhra Pradesh, lifts surplus water from the Godavari and transfers it to the Krishna river through the Polavaram Right Main Canal.

Key facts:

• It was completed in a record time of about one year and dedicated in September 2015 (with full operation in 2016).
• It lifts water from the Godavari at Pattiseema village using powerful pumps.
• The water travels about 174 km through the Polavaram Right Main Canal and joins the Krishna above the Prakasam Barrage at Vijayawada (Ibrahimpatnam).
• Its capacity is about 8,500 cusecs.
• It is often described as the first river-linking project to be completed in India, as it physically linked two major rivers.

Purpose:

• The Godavari carries large amounts of surplus water that flows into the sea during the monsoon.
• The Krishna delta often faces water shortages because upstream states use much of the Krishna's water.
• By transferring Godavari water to the Krishna delta, the project helps irrigate crops in the Krishna delta, and allows Krishna water stored in the Srisailam reservoir to be used for the drought-prone Rayalaseema region.

Polavaram Project:

The Polavaram multipurpose project on the Godavari, declared a national project in 2014, will provide a larger, gravity-based link between the Godavari and the Krishna through its right canal once completed.

National River Linking Project:

• India's National Perspective Plan (1980) proposed linking rivers to transfer water from surplus to deficit basins, with 16 links in the peninsular component and 14 in the Himalayan component.
• The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) prepares the plans.
• Major proposed links in the peninsula include Mahanadi-Godavari and Godavari-Krishna.

Concerns:

River linking raises concerns about high costs, displacement of people, ecological damage and inter-state disputes.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Narmada water reaches the Sabarmati through the Narmada canal in Gujarat, a different scheme.
• ✗The Mahanadi-Godavari link is only proposed, and the Kaveri-Vaigai link is a separate scheme in Tamil Nadu.