In a much-awaited development, the drought-hit western mandals of Chittoor district finally received water from the Handri Neeva as inflows reached the Pedda Tippa Samudram lift facility on Thursday evening.
Water is expected to reach neighbouring B. Kothakota mandal in the next 24 hours.
Though the HNSS waters were released into Madanapalle and Punganur branch canal early this year on a trial basis, the flow was stopped due to technical issues. After a gap of ten months, HNSS officials took steps to release the waters into the branch canal from the lift facility at Anantapur district.
The branch canal is expected to receive uninterrupted flow of waters for the next four months, depending on the water levels at Srisailam project. The flow would be monitored in the Punganur branch canal for a distance of about 100 km. Two pumps with a capacity of 70 cusecs each were set up for the branch canal.
HNSS officials said that once the water flow gets regularised, it would serve the irrigation and drinking water needs of more than 120 village panchayats in Madanapalle, Punganur, Palamaner and Kuppam Assembly constituencies in the first phase, besides projecting the possibility of pumping waters into the village tanks and summer storage tanks.
Meanwhile, farmers offered prayers along the branch canal at various villages in Pedda Tippa Samudram and B. Kothakota mandals, welcoming the waters.
