After 150 years, irrigation canals in the Krishna delta are going in for major renovation. The works actually started this summer may take another four years to complete. The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy would launch the Krishna delta modernisation works at Avanigadda on June 6. He will be arriving here by helicopter from Guntur district at 10 am. "Delta modernisation for long has been a dream for the farmers. The Chief Minister is fulfilling the promise he gave during his visit to Avanigadda in the aftermath of Ogni cyclone,' said minister for animal husbandry, Mr Mandali Buddha Prasad. It would benefit the tail-end areas of Krishna delta, he added. The Vijayawada irrigation circle superintending engineer, Mr T. Sivaji, said 20 packages worth Rs 2,180 crore were announced under the delta modernisation programme but the Irrigation & Command Area Development (I&CAD) department was associated with only 14 packages worth Rs 1,400 crore. Of the 14 packages, contractors filed tenders for only eight packages. No tenders were filed for five packages in the drainage division. The government wants to complete the works started this year by next summer so that the structural works could be taken up. Officials said to speed up the works the state government would ask farmers to declare a crop holiday for the second crop in the third and fourth years for canal lining work.