Jagan to dedicate ‘marvel’ twin tunnels of Veligonda to nation

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy would dedicate the twin tunnels as part of the Poola Subbaiah Veligonda project in Prakasam district to the nation on Wednesday.

An engineering marvel, the tunnels were laid by bore machines digging their way through the Srisailam-Nagarjunasagar Tiger reserve forest at a depth of 500 metres, on average, from atop the hills to a distance of 18.82km.

The Chief Minister would interact with the project beneficiaries after dedication of the twin tunnels to the nation.

This was a project that carried the name of Communist leader Poola Subbaiah. Another speciality of Veligonda is that the reservoir is formed across three gaps -- Sunkesula, Gottipadia and Kakarla.

The CM will inaugurate the twin tunnels at Yeguvacherlopalli village in Dornala mandal and it is envisaged to provide irrigation facilities to 4.47 lakh acres and drinking water to 15.25 lakh people in drought-prone, fluoride affected upland areas in 30 mandals of Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa districts.

Water resources minister Ambati Rambabu said the project's estimated cost was `10010.54 crore. The water source for Veligonda is the foreshore of Srisailam Reservoir through Kollamvagu (From Sill level +841ft).

Veligonda would supply irrigation water to 4,47,300 acres and drinking water to 15.25 lakh people in 30 mandals of Prakasam, YSR Kadapa and Nellore districts.

The Stage-I canal distributary will provide irrigation facilities to 1,19,000 acres and drinking water to a 4 lakh population in Prakasam district. The Stage-II canal distributary will provide additional irrigation facilities to 3,28,300 acres and drinking water to a 11.25 lakh population in Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa districts.

The Nallamala (Veligonda) Sagar Reservoir Capacity is 53.85tmc, the minister said.

Regarding the twin tunnels, Rambabu said, “The state government has completed the twin tunnel works and the Nallamala Sagar of Veligonda project, which was initiated in 2004 by the YS Rajasekhara Reddy government. It envisages a drawing of 43.50tmc flood water of Krishna river from the foreshore of Srisailam project reservoir through Kollam Vagu (upstream of Srisailam reservoir) by twin tunnels by gravity and thereafter to impound in the Nallamala Sagar Reservoir through a feeder canal.

The other schemes associated with the completion of the Veligonda project are the Velagalapalle lift irrigation scheme and the new lift irrigation scheme to be constructed at Papinenipalli. “Some 1.6tmc of irrigation water will be released through the Veligonda project’s east main canal to stabilize the 16,000 acres of ayacut under the Rallapadu reservoir.”

Rambabu said 2.25 tmc of drinking water will be supplied to 1,657 villages in seven assembly constituencies of West Prakasam district from the Nallamala Sagar reservoir through the Water Grid scheme and 2.58tmc of water will be supplied from the Nallamala Sagar reservoir to the mega industrial hub to be built by APIIC at Donakonda in Prakasam district, in an area of 24,358 acres.

He said 1.27 TMC of water will be supplied to the National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) to be built in an area of 14,000 acres in Pamuru and Pedacherlopalle mandals of Prakasam district through the Veligonda project east main canal.