Vijayawada: The state govt is aiming for two Guinness World Records by organising the biggest yoga event ever, said chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday. Elaborating about the arrangements made for the grand celebration of International Yoga Day, he said that the govt is aiming for 20 world records in different categories.The first Guinness record will be attempted on Friday with the highest number of participants performing Surya Namaskaras in a single place. As many as 25,000 tribal students will perform Surya Namaskars for 108 minutes.Elaborate arrangements have been made from RK Beach to Bhogapuram, covering 26 kilometres for the event on June 21 to accommodate at least 3.19 lakh people. On Yoga Day, people will participate simultaneously in 8 lakh locations across the globe. “We targeted 2 crore registrations, but we crossed the target with 2.39 crore people registering for the event,” said Naidu.The event is being conducted with the theme ‘Yoga for One Earth, One Health.’ “We plan to include yoga in the syllabus for students from the 9th grade. We are considering having yoga classes once or twice a week in schools. We are also contemplating establishing a Yoga Deemed University,” Chief Minister Chandrababu revealed.Telangana can use Godavari water: CMMeanwhile, responding to Telangana’s objection over the Banakacharla project, the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that there is no point in engaging in an unnecessary dispute as abundant water is available in the Godavari River. Naidu said that Telangana can utilise as much water as it wants from the Godavari. “We never objected to any of Telangana’s projects, and they need not oppose AP’s projects when their interests are not affected in any manner,” said Naidu.The chief minister explained that the Banakacharla project only uses excess water in the River Godavari, which is going to waste into the sea. A 100-year average inflow of the Godavari suggests that 3000 TMC of water is going into the sea every year. If Telangana wants to utilise the water that is available and wants to build projects to utilise the same, we will welcome it, said Naidu.Recalling the previous disputes over Krishna water sharing, Naidu said that it is not beneficial to fight over the limited water available in the Krishna River. Instead, both states can utilise the water available in the Godavari, he suggested. AP has a natural advantage in using excess flood water, being the lower riparian state. How can Telangana take water from the Godavari that is going into the sea, and in what way will their rights be affected if AP uses that water, he wondered. Naidu said that he is for amicable solutions that benefit both states, and he always wants both Telugu states to emerge as number one.
