Veligonda project set for August 31 inauguration after three-decade wait
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday, August 25, announced that the Veligonda project, conceived three decades ago to transform the drought-hit erstwhile Prakasam district, will be inaugurated on August 31.
Naidu said the long-pending effort to bring Krishna River water to the drought-prone region had finally been realised after overcoming several challenges.
He said Phase-1 of the project was being completed and 10.7 TMC of water would be released into Nallamala Sagar. The historic inauguration will be held in Markapur district, he said.
Naidu recalled that he had laid the foundation stone for the project on March 5, 1996, when he was chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, and would inaugurate it three decades later.
Phase-1 will provide irrigation water to 1.1 lakh acres, while Phase-2 will cover 3.2 lakh acres and also supply drinking water to lakhs of people, he said.
Describing the project as a "garland of light" for drought-hit Markapur, Naidu said the arrival of Veligonda water would bring development, cultivation and prosperity to the region.
He said his government had also fulfilled the long-standing demand for a separate Markapur district and planned to soon undertake works involving investments of Rs 1 lakh crore to turn Rayalaseema and the erstwhile Prakasam district into a horticulture hub.
The chief minister said improved connectivity through national highways, ports, the Bengaluru-Amaravati highway and Ramayapatnam Port would create new opportunities for industrial and commercial development.
He also assured that a permanent solution would be found to the fluoride problem in West Prakasam by providing clean drinking water through tap connections to every household.
The project is expected to boost the backward areas of Markapur district by meeting drinking-water needs, supporting irrigation and ensuring water availability for industrial zones in Donakonda and Kanigiri. Naidu also called upon people to contribute to nation-building while pursuing personal success.
(With inputs from PTI)
