CM Jagan announces Veligonda project dedication next month

Kurnool: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said the Veligonda project would be dedicated to the nation next month. The first and second tunnels have been completed, and the last phase works are progressing fast, he said.

Addressing a public meeting in Dhone in Nandyal district on Tuesday, he said the government was committed to the development of the water-starved Rayalaseema region. Since 2019, his government has been striving hard for completion of the pending irrigation projects, he said.

“Our focus has been on strengthening the canal systems and enhancing the reservoirs’ storage capacities.”

Jagan Mohan Reddy elaborated on the upgrade of the Gajuladinne project in Nandyal district, the storage capacity of which has been increased from 4.5tmc feet to 5tmc feet. He also highlighted the significant improvement in irrigation facilities, with more than 10,000 acres being brought under the lift irrigation scheme in Lakka Sagaram.

He said the previous government spent only Rs 13 crore on the Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanti project. “In contrast, when Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy was CM, he had allocated Rs 6,000 crore to complete the pending projects.”

“The capacity of the Pothireddypadu project has now been raised to 80,000 cusecs from 44,000 cusecs.”

Addressing the previous challenges in supplying water to the Srisailam reservoir until it reached the Full Reservoir Level of 885 feet, he said the proposed Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme was designed to alleviate the region's water scarcity by drawing water from as low as the 800 feet level of Srisailam.

Water resources minister Ambati Rambabu, finance minister Buggana Rajendranath, legislators, MPs, MLCs, local leaders and others participated in the event.