‘Jalayagnam’ to Quench the Thirst of Farmers for Irrigation in Andhra Pradesh: Wither Regional Disparities

The present paper made an attempt to bring out the scenario of the continuity in the historical legacy of regional disparities in Andhra Pradesh, especially in terms of irrigation infrastructure, even in the current policy initiatives. In the process it examines the facts and figure about the status of irrigation systems, potentials created and utilized capacities and the new policy initiative, ‘Jalayagnam’, undertaken in the state. It is observed from the analysis that while the regional distribution in major and medium dams completed to the date indicates the predominance of Coastal Andhra region especially when one takes into account the irrigation potential created and in the case of the minor irrigation the Telangana region is overloaded with them where the region’s contribution is relatively the highest among the regions of Andhra Pradesh. In the recent policy initiatives in irrigation infrastructure development especially the project ‘Jalayagnam’, the region-wise number of projects that are proposed and the size (no of Acres) of Ayacut Development and the Estimated Cost in the completion of the projects undertaken in Andhra Pradesh, has shown that there is continuity in regional disparity in spite of the promises of regionally balanced development owing to the absence of unbiased planning while creating irrigation infrastructure in the state under the welfare maxim ‘equity’ where the most disadvantaged needs much more attention and is supposed to get the higher proportion allocation of funds.