Water from HNSS project to be released in July: Andhra Pradesh CM

Amaravati, May 9 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday announced that water through the Handri-Neeva Srujala Sravanthi (HNSS) project in the Rayalseema region will be released by July 10.

The state government is spending Rs 3,873 crore for 554 km-long canal and other works under the first and second phases.

The Chief Minister inspected the Handri-Neeva Srujala Sravanthi (HNSS) works at ground level at Chayapuram of Uravakonda in Anantapur district.

Chandrababu Naidu regretted that the project works came to a standstill due to the negligent attitude adopted by the previous government and said that after the TDP-led NDA came to power, the works were moving at a fast pace.

The Chief Minister felt that once the Polavaram-Banakacherla is complete, the entire Rayalaseema region will completely come out of the drought menace, while every acre in the state will get irrigation water.

Chandrababu Naidu recalled that on March 11, 1996, he had laid the foundation stone for Handri-Neeva, which was a dream of the TDP founder NT Rama Rao (NTR). At that time, Rayalaseema did not have a water supply, and everyone felt that the region would turn into a desert. NTR was the only person who instilled confidence among the people, he said.

The Chief Minister said NTR saw the opportunity to utilise the surplus water for the state is available and decided to change the fate of Rayalaseema with projects like Handri-Neeva, Galeru, Nagari and Telugu Ganga.

Making it clear that he has decided to completely change the topography of this district, the Chief Minister said that ex gratia has been paid to the farmers for crop loss when the local leaders brought the matter to his notice. Recalling how he bailed out the region from deep water scarcity, Chandrababu said that he has already promised to make Rayalaseema as the land of pearls while the people called it as the land of stones.

Maintaining that anything is possible only if there is a water facility, the Chief Minister said that he issued the government order (GO) within one hour of promising that the Handri-Neeva will be widened. "At the same time, I have already completed 37 per cent of the project works," he stated and observed how he was successful in getting the Kia company to the region.

He pointed out that Rs 70,000 crore was spent on irrigation between 2014 and 2019, and of this, Rs 12,441 crore was spent for Rayalaseema alone, including Rs 4,200 crore for Handri-Neeva.

He stated that arrangements are on to get 40 TMC feet of water, and the works will be complete this season itself.

Once phase-1 of this project is completed, a total of 1,98,000 acres, including 77,094 acres in Kurnool district, 2,906 acres in Nandyal district and 1,18,000 acres in Anantapur will get irrigation water. Under phase-2, a total of 4,04,500 acres will get an irrigation facility, which will totally improve the financial condition of the farmers in this region, he said.

--IANS

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