State Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu on Thursday praised famous engineer Sir Arthur Cotton on the occasion of his death anniversary saying that Sir Cotton had proved that any area can be made fertile with the benefit of water resources and drought can be eliminated.  Speaking at the secretariat, the Minister stated that taking his inspiration, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu initiated the process of inter-linking of rivers in the state. The minister said that the state can be made drought-free by interlinking of rivers and every acre can be cultivated and used to create wealth. 

The Minister complimented that despite being an Englishman, Arthur Cotton was a great man who worked for the construction of canals in Dhavaleswaram and Krishna anacuts as well as in both Godavari and Krishna districts with foresight. On this occasion, the minister lamented that the loss to irrigation sector was immense during the YSRCP regime and gave the example of Polavaram project which was neglected. 

Minister Ramanaidu claimed that the present state government had put the irrigation sector on track this year. The minister said that the Polavaram-Banakacharla link project had been designed with the inspiration of Sir Cotton so that Godavari flood waters do not go into the sea in vain. He said the government was determined to complete the Polavaram project and provide irrigation and drinking water to both North Andhra and Rayalaseema. As part of the program to give priority to the irrigation sector, Rs 700 crore has been allocated for maintenance of crop canals and sewage drains in the state, he said.