Lift irrigation works in Guntur slow down

Vijayawada: Several suspicions have been raised over the Kondaveeti Vaagu lift irrigation scheme, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of next month. The contract was awarded to MEIL, at the rate of '237 crore in the month of January and it is to be completed within six months as per the schedule. While Dr Marri Chenna Reddy’s formula on Kondaveeti Vaagu is most beneficial, on cost front, the government has conveniently ignored it, according to experts.  The state government has proposed to construct a new canal to divert the flood water of the stream into Krishna River from Lam Farm to Vykunthapuram of Guntur district, and still there is no sign of development works in Undavalli.

The state government has already sanctioned '237 crore for the pumping house at Undavalli village in Tadepalli mandal. The first priority is to dig the silt from the Kondaveeti Vaagu within 15 days and it will take another 15 days to dry, then only the works would be taken up. A new canal would be constructed to divert the flood water of the stream into Krishna River from Lam Farm to Vaikuntha-puram. However, so far there is no significant speed in the works. When it was brought to the knowledge of the contractors — MEIL general manager Rangarajan Krishna Swamy, he said that works are going in a speedy way and by the end of September, they would complete the works.

In fact, water supply to the stream with gravity during dry time proposed to ensure water supply throughout the year in the Kondaveeti Vaagu. The stream originates from Kondaveedu hill ranges near Perecherla village of Medikonduru mandal in Guntur district. But the drain starts from Lam village which runs for a length of 29.5 km. As much as 15,000 cusecs of water would flow in the Kondaveeti Vaagu during floods and heavy rains. The stream had been narrowed in majority areas.

Kondaveeti Vaagu to be a waterway for capital:

The state government says Kondaveeti Vaagu, is going to turn into a waterway for Amaravati and save the capital region from inundation through a water-lift pumping scheme. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has set the foundation stone for a water-lifting pumping house at Undavalli Chepala Revu in March. As there is no way to release floodwaters, the government decided to pump water into the Krishna River through 16 motors and each motor would pump 350 cusecs of water into the river.

The stream causes submersion of about 13,500 acres of land during floods and out of this 10,600 acres of land is within the core capital region. Since the rainy season has already started, a section of irrigation officials are worried over the slowdown in the works. Kondaveeti Vaagu stops the transportation between Guntur-old Amaravati and Vijayawada-Tullur-old Amaravati due to overflowing of stream in various areas.

A new canal would be constructed from Lam Farm to Vaikunthapuram on the banks of Krishna River to divert the floodwater into the river. The stream would be widened by increasing the water flowing capacity to 22,650 cusecs from present 15,000 cusecs.