Veligonda Phase-I will be inaugurated by CM Chandrababu Naidu on August 31, providing irrigation to 4.47 lakh acres and drinking water to nearly 23 lakh people.
Amaravati: The Veligonda Project is set to mark a major milestone in Andhra Pradesh's irrigation and drinking water infrastructure, with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu scheduled to inaugurate Phase-I on August 31.
The project is expected to provide irrigation facilities to 4.47 lakh acres and drinking water to nearly 23 lakh people, offering relief to regions that have long faced drought, groundwater depletion, fluoride contamination and migration.
The project will benefit 4,47,300 acres across 30 mandals. The proposed irrigation coverage includes 3,36,100 acres in the erstwhile Prakasam district, 84,000 acres in Nellore district and 27,200 acres in Kadapa district.
The project is designed to address the longstanding water shortages affecting agriculture in the region and support more reliable farming activity.
Veligonda is also positioned as a major drinking water project. Nearly 23 lakh people are expected to benefit from its drinking water component.
The project is particularly significant for areas affected by fluoride contamination, including parts of western Prakasam district.
The project will transfer Krishna water from the Srisailam reservoir through two tunnels using a gravity-based system. Veligonda has a total storage capacity of 53.85 TMC.
Water will be stored in Nallamala Sagar and subsequently supplied through the project's main canals for irrigation and drinking water requirements.
As part of the Phase-I inauguration, 10.70 TMC of Krishna water is planned to be released into Nallamala Sagar.
The total estimated cost of the Veligonda Project is Rs. 10,200 crore. According to the release, works worth Rs. 7,983 crore had been completed by the first phase.
The project involves major tunnel, feeder canal, head regulator and associated infrastructure works.
The two tunnels together extend to 18.8 km, while the feeder canal extends to around 21.8 km.
The project also includes critical works related to tunnel excavation, canal lining, retaining walls and head regulators. The tunnel-2 construction challenges involving the Tunnel Boring Machine were addressed through technical interventions, according to the release.
Land acquisition and rehabilitation are key components of the project. The government has identified 7,321 displaced families from 11 submerged villages.
The release stated that the Chandrababu Naidu government distributed Rs. 768 crore in compensation to displaced families within 48 days, while rehabilitation and infrastructure works continued.
Improved water availability is expected to support agricultural diversification, horticulture and higher farm productivity. The project could also create opportunities in agricultural processing, marketing and related rural economic activities.
The government has also highlighted potential industrial benefits, including water availability for industrial areas and opportunities to connect agricultural and food-processing activity with the Ramayapatnam Port.
The Veligonda Project has been under development for decades. The release states that the project was initiated with a foundation stone laid in 1996 and received administrative approval for its first phase in 1999.
With Phase-I now nearing inauguration, the project is expected to provide a major boost to irrigation, drinking water security and economic activity across the drought-prone areas of the region.
The August 31 inauguration is being projected as an important milestone in Andhra Pradesh's long-term effort to address water scarcity and strengthen the agricultural economy of the region.
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