Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced that water will be released through the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi on July 10 this year. He said that Rs. 3,873 crore is being spent on the canal expansion and lining works of 554 kilometers under Phase-1 and 2 of this scheme. He deplored that the work was stopped for five years due to the negligence of the previous rulers.
He said that the work was being completed at a fast pace as soon as the coalition came to power. On Friday, the Chief Minister inspected the Handri- Neeva canal expansion and lining works at the field level near Chhayapuram in Vajrakarur mandal of Anantapur district. Ministers Nimmala Ramanaidu, Payyavula Keshav and officials of the Water Resources Department accompanied him on the tour.
The CM directed to collect details of the progress of the work through drones on a daily basis and inform from time to time. He clarified that attention should be paid to ensure its completion as soon as possible and that the water should be ready for release by July 10. Later, he addressed the locals at the public platform in Chaiyapuram.
CM Chandrababu said that if the Handri-Neeva, Polavaram-Banakacharla projects are completed, there will be no drought in Rayalaseema. “On March 11, 1996, I laid the foundation stone for Handri- Neeva in the Uravakonda constituency. This project was NTR’s dream. To utilize the surplus water, he designed the Handri-Neeva, Galeru-Nagari, and Telugu Ganga projects and changed the direction of Rayalaseema”, he said.
“After I became the CM, we took special programs to prevent the region from turning into a desert. I said that day that I would make Rayalaseema a land of gems. I came to Uravakonda as part of the Ra Kadalira program. Give me all 14 seats in the joint district.. I asked them to trust me. Along with the 14 seats, they also gave me two MP seats”, he added.
The Chief Minister recalled that as per his promise to widen the Handri- Neeva, he issued the GO within the hour and have completed 37 percent of the work so far. If the project is completed, he said 1.98 lakh acres in Phase-1 and 4.04 lakh acres in Phase-2 will be irrigated. The Handri-Neeva canal from Srisailam reservoir to Kuppam is 773 kilometers long. It is the longest canal in Asia.
“This year, there have been good rains. We have filled all the reservoirs and tanks in Seema. If necessary, I am responsible for providing water to all the tanks in the joint district by installing small lifts. Every year, 2000 TMCs flow into the sea from Godavari. If 300 TMCs of it can be brought, the entire state will be fertile”, he added.