Groundwater externalities of surface irrigation transfers under national river linking project: Polavaram – Vijayawada link

• to provide irrigation benefits to the upland areas
• to provide a water supply to the industries in Visakhapatnam city, including the Steel Plant, for the generation of hydropower
• for the development of navigation and recreation facilities.

The project envisages the construction of an earth-cum-rock filled dam that is 1,600 m long across the Godavari River at Polavaram, and about 42 km upstream of the Godavari Barrage at Dowlaiswaram.

This paper describes:

• The P-V link command area features
  • Climate and topography
  • Geo-hydrological conditions
• Agriculture and irrigation
  • Land use
  • Groundwater irrigation and conditions
  • Cropping pattern
• Crop yields and net returns
• Groundwater model studies: prognosis of change
• Expected crop production benefits from P-V Link
• Sustainability issues of the P-V link command
  • Groundwater irrigation
  • Waterlogging and soil salinity
• Recommended agriculture strategy under the P-V Link