Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated 18.82-km twin tunnels of Poola Subbhaiah Veligonda Project at Yeguvacherlopalli of Dornala mandal in Prakasam district on on March 6 (Wednesday), saying that it was a testament of faith and a 20-year dream fulfilled by providing irrigation and drinking water to millions of people in Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa districts.
The Chief Minister criticised that the previous TDP government did not give the due priority to the project. Describing it as a significant step towards addressing the challenges of irrigation and drinking water needs in the drought-prone and fluoride-hit areas, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the project aimed at providing irrigation facilities to 4.47 lakh acres and drinking water to 15.25 lakh people in the upland areas of Prakasam, Nellore, and Kadapa districts.
“The government will spend ₹1,200 crore on the land acquisition and RR package and it will be completed by July or August,” said Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Proposed with an estimated cost of ₹10,010.54 crore, the Veligonda project draws 43.50 tmc ft of floodwater from the foreshore of the Srisailam reservoir through Kollam Vagu and it will be stored in Nallamala (Veligonda) Sagar Reservoir that has a storage capacity of 53.85 tmc ft.
The first phase of the project, the canal distributary is set to provide irrigation water to 1.19 lakh acres and drinking water to 4 lakh people in Prakasam district. In the second stage, the project will expand its reach, providing irrigation to an additional 3.28 lakh acres and drinking water to 11.25 lakh people in 30 mandals of Prakasam, Nellore, and Kadapa districts.
Dig at TDP
“Despite knowing the immense benefits of this project for the fluoride-prone areas, the previous TDP government had proceeded at a snail’s pace in completing these tunnels. Each tunnel is of approximately 18.8 km. Between 2004 and 2014, work in 20.3 km was completed. During the TDP’s tenure between 2014 to 2019, work was completed only in 6.6 km. We have completed the work in approximately 11 km on a mission mode,” said Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The Chief Minister also introduced the YSRCP candidates from Prakasam district to the people and appealed to the voters to elect the candidates in the forthcoming elections.
