The first phase of the ₹6,492-crore Pula Subbaiah Veligonda project, one of the fast-track projects taken up by former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy under the ‘Jalayagnam’ programme, will be completed by June next at any cost, Water Resources Minister P. Anil Kumar has said.
Inspecting the ongoing works at the project site along with his Cabinet colleagues Balineni Srinivasa Reddy and A. Suresh, he said that the YSRCP government was according top priority to the Polavaram and the Veligonda projects.
“Water will flow into the fields from the Veligonda project from kharif next,” the Minister asserted.
“In six months, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has bettered the good governance provided by his father Rajasekhara Reddy.”
Reverse bidding
The YSRCP government saved ₹62.1 crore of public money on Tunnel II of the project through the reverse bidding process after cancelling the contract awarded by the TDP regime for ₹553.13 crore, he said.
The second phase envisaged drawing 32.80 tmcft water to irrigate 3.28 lakh acres and provide drinking water to 11.25 lakh people.
Mr. Anil Kumar directed the officials to speed up the tunnel work from both sides and also complete the canal lining work by January itself.
Under the first phase, Krishna water will be provided to 1.19 lakh acres and drinking water to 4 lakh people.
Rehab package
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was considering giving a better rehabilitation package to the 4,617 displaced families in 11 villages, Mr. Suresh said.
Touted as an engineering marvel with two giant tunnels to draw Krishna water from the foreshore of the Srisailam reservoir without disturbing the habitat of wild animals in the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve(NSTR), the project had suffered time and cost overruns as drilling of the twin tunnels proved to be a herculean task.
“So far, ₹5106.80 crore has been spent on the project,” officials said.
